Release Blitz + Review: We Were Here by Daisy Prescott

Posted on 02/23/2016 by shellbellereads

We Were Here by Daisy Prescott Review and Excerpt Blog Tour- Feb 23-26

In the 90s …

texting involved paper and a pen …

… our selfies were Polaroids …

… our favorite music was on mix tapes.

Sex was dangerous, music was raw, and falling in love felt nostalgic.

We were friends and lovers.

We thought we knew everything.

We knew nothing.

We were here.

Set in the early 1990s, a time before the internet, social media, and smart phones, We Were Here is the prequel to Geoducks Are For Lovers. This book can be read as a standalone.

“This story has it all! Just like a mixed tape; we get a dose of steamy romance, angsty ballads and sweet love songs woven together in a compelling, heartwarming and sometimes heartwrenching journey of self-exploration.” Helena Hunting, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

Maggie, Freshmen year

After being quizzed about the Dewey Decimal system, and failing, I returned to my room in shame. At this rate, if I wanted to work on campus, I’d be washing dishes in the dining hall. Nothing could be grosser than the used food and unclean dishes of thousands of college students. I gagged at the thought as I opened our door.
Inside, Jennifer—my perfectly nice and perfectly normal roommate—was straddling a guy on my desk chair, making out.

She might have been trying to eat his face. I couldn’t really tell in the two seconds I stared at them before clamping my eyes shut. I know I spied her tongue. Outside of her mouth. All I could see of him were his dark hair, long legs, and brown Wallabee boots.

Panicked about interrupting something, and simultaneously feeling like a prude, I backed my way through the open door. After it quietly clicked close, I pressed my head against the cool metal.

I could go back to the library, except I left there ten minutes ago. The dorm lounge was an option, but this time of day meant it would be filled with some random club. I couldn’t remember if Thursday’s meeting was German Lovers or Save the Geoducks—our school mascot. Neither appealed to me.

I stared harder at the painted metal, wishing the make-out session on the other side would end sooner rather than later.

“Are you locked out?” The blond guy from down the hall rested his head on the bulletin board next to my room.

“Or are you praying?”

Pressing my cheek on the door, I twisted to see him more clearly.

“It’s okay if you are. Pray if you’ve got to.”

“I’m not. Just thinking.”

A loud moan sounded from inside the room. “Oh, oh, oh God.”

“Sounds like someone in there is praying.” His lips curled into a smile. “You might want to step away, lest someone think you’re a pervert for eavesdropping.”

I jumped away from the door. “I wasn’t listening!”

Chuckling, he held up his hands in defense. “Not judging you. Praying and voyeurism both have their places, usually in Madonna videos.”

Another not so soft groan carried from my room. I took a step farther away. My favorite black on black Swatch showed the time as four o’clock. Too early to go to dinner. Looks like I’ll be going to the lounge after all.

“You want to come hang out in my room until they finish whatever they’re doing in there?” His offer sounded genuine and his smile was more than friendly. He gestured over his shoulder to the open door across the hall and down a few rooms. “I can promise you my roommate isn’t in there making out with anyone. We should be safe.”

Selah, Freshman Year

“Miss Elmore.”

Great. Despite most definitely being outside of class and off campus, he’d reverted to formal names.

“Mr. Vincent.”

“I’m surprised to see you here.” He ignored introductions to his friend.

“I could say the same. I didn’t realize you lived in Olympia.”

“I don’t.”

Geez, this conversation couldn’t be more boring. Maybe his companion was friendly. I stuck out my hand. “Hi, I’m Selah, one of Mr. Vincent’s students at Evergreen.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Kevin.” If someone could be described as beige, he was that person. Nothing remarkable about him except how unremarkable he looked. “Are you taking Jason’s sex class?”

Thankfully, I remained composed enough not to swallow my tongue. “Is that how he’s describing it? Professor?” I held my gaze steady on Jason’s face. I swore I saw his cheeks color with pink.

“Kevin.” His voice lowered, stern and threatening.

Kevin’s grin told me he enjoyed teasing Jason. They must have been old friends. “Fine, are you in Professor Vincent’s biology class?”

“I am. I’m hoping for an A.”

Kevin’s clever eyes swept over me. “What year are you?”

“First.”

Jason groaned while Kevin nodded and asked, “Tell me, Selah, has anyone ever called you Lolita before?”

Now my own cheeks heated. My skirt suddenly felt too short—the gap between it and my boots exposing a lot of fishnet covered skin. Or it could have been my short pigtails. I realized all I needed was a lollipop.

“Can’t say it’s happened before, Kevin.”

Clearly, Kevin knew my game. Or maybe Jason’s. I’d never thought he could be the type to seduce his students. As far as I knew, this class was his first teaching job.

“How did you get in here?” Jason changed the subject. “Fake ID?”

Busted. “No one carded us.”

“Doesn’t make you legal.”

“Are you going to call the police? Have us arrested and handcuffed?” It might have been the vodka, but I decided to be bold and push him. “Are you into handcuffs, Professor?”

Jason choked on his beer, coughing to clear his throat.

After making sure his friend wasn’t dying, Kevin laughed. “This is more entertaining than I imagined a college dive bar could be.”

I focused my attention on the non-choking friend. “What brings you to Olympia, Kevin?”

“I’m in politics.”

Jason found his voice again. “He’s an assistant to an assistant to a state senator.”

“Then you know all about impropriety.” I gave him a sweet smile.

“It’s been a political tradition since the Founding Fathers.” Kevin raised his glass. “I like you. Care to join us?”

Jason set his beer on the table. “I can’t be seen drinking with students. Kevin, shut up.” He pointed at me. “You return to your booth and your friends, and we’ll pretend we never ran into each other.”

“Yes, sir.” I saluted him. “Can I ask one question first?”

“If he doesn’t answer, I will.” Kevin gave me a wicked grin like a wolf in beige clothing.

__________________________________

Michel’s Review

We Were Here by Daisy Prescott is a delightful story that takes readers back to the beginning. Seven young people beginning their lives as adults. These kids head off to college with big dreams. It’s their chance to finally make choices for themselves and live by their own rules. There’s a bit of fear and excitement.

Readers have met some of these characters in Geoducks Are For Lovers or in the Modern Love Story series. It’s not necessary to read any of those books before reading We Were Here. This is the perfect book to start.

Daisy captured the joy of youth and the lifetime bonds of friendship that were forged. We Were Here was a fun, delightful book that will leave the reader with a big smile. It triggered memories of years gone by that shaped the people they are today.

Read We Were Here by Daisy Prescott!

_________________________________________________

About Daisy Prescott:

USA Today Bestselling Author Daisy Prescott writes romantic comedies with heart.
Her Modern Love Stories feature characters in their thirties and forties finding and rediscovering love in unexpected and humorous ways. Her Wingmen books star regular guys who often have beards, drive trucks, and love deeply once they fall.
Born and raised in San Diego, Daisy currently lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with her husband and an imaginary house goat. When not writing about herself in the third person, Daisy can be found traveling, gardening, baking, or lost in a good book.
To learn more about Daisy and her writing, sign up for her mailing list here (copy and paste this link): eepurl.com/xhXb5. Send her an email at: daisyauthor@gmail.com Or chat with her on Twitter (@daisy_prescott) and Facebook: /daisyprescottauthorpage, and follow her on Instagram: /daisyprescott

New Release… Target On Our Backs by J.M. Darhower – Monster In His Eyes Series – Book 3

Posted on 02/23/2016 by shellbellereads

Target on Our Backs

Monster In His Eyes Series – Book 3

By J.M. Darhower

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

BLURB

The best way to keep your word is never
to give it.

Not long ago, in a chapel in Vegas, I swore to love Karissa
for the rest of my days. But nobody’s promised an infinite number of tomorrows.
Nobody’s promised forever. Sometimes, all we have left is today.

Carpe Diem

Seize the day.

It should’ve been over, we should’ve been happy, but people
are making it hard for me to live in peace. I’ve got so much blood on my hands
they’ll never be clean, and somebody out there seems to want me to pay for it. Happily Ever After always comes at a
cost, one any real man would be willing to pay. But that doesn’t mean I’m just
going to roll over and accept these consequences.

Because when it comes to the woman I love? The life I’ve
fought for?

Nobody is safe.

FullcovertargetUPDATE

Monster In His Eyes Series

Monster In His Eyes – Book 1

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I’m thinking before I even do.

It’s alarming and alluring. It’s dark and deadly. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn’t take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it’s too late. He has secrets, secrets I can’t fathom, secrets that make it so I can’t walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that’s both terrifying and thrilling. He’s a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn’t stop me from loving him, too.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This book is intended for a mature audience only, due to some dark and erotic content.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

****

Torture Her Soul

Monster In His Eyes- Book 2

Don’t say it unless you mean it…

It’s a simple concept, one I’ve said time and again, but something people don’t seem to comprehend. You should choose every syllable carefully, because you never know when somebody will hold you to your word.

Somebody like me.

I’m not a good man. I’m not. I know. I have enough darkness inside of me to rid the world of every stitch of light. But there’s one I could never harm, one light I couldn’t bring myself to snuff out.

Karissa.

She thinks I’m a monster, and maybe I am. I taunt her with my touch, get a thrill out of torturing her soul. But I’m not the only one. The world is full of monsters, and I’m not the most dangerous one out there.

Not even close…

God help me, I love her.

I do.

And God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

___________________________________________

Author Bio:

JM Darhower is the author of countless stories and poems, most of which only she has ever read. She lives in a tiny town in rural North Carolina, where she churns out more words than will ever see the light of day. She has a deep passion for politics and speaking out against human trafficking, and when she isn’t writing she’s usually ranting about those things. Chronic crimper with a vulgar mouth, she admits to having a Twitter addiction. You can find her there.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

FrontCoverTarget

Release Blitz + Review: Dance Of Desire by Christopher Rice

Posted on 02/23/2016 by shellbellereads

We are thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice! DANCE OF DESIRE is a novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. DANCE OF DESIRE is the first contemporary romance told with the author’s trademark humor and heart. It also introduces readers to a quirky and beautiful town in the Texas Hill Country called Chapel Springs. Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!

Amazon eBook Amazon Paperback**

EXCERPT:

“What time was it last night when you saw the moon?”she’d asked him.

“Past midnight.”

“But you only went to bed at eleven.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

They both knew what thoughts were keeping him awake, thoughts of his father’s drinking and of how crazy his mother was going trying to rein it all in.

“Wake me up next time,” she’d told him. “I’ll keep you company.”

Such simple words, but she’d felt like she was jumping off the edge of a cliff when she’d said them. Instead of answering, Caleb gave her a long look as he fiddled with the leg of his shorts. She’d silently cursed herself, called herself an idiot and worse.

Caleb was just a friend. Honestly, he wasn’t even that, was he? Circumstances had thrown them together, that was all. He was the son of her father’s best friend, so they were basically like distant cousins, only with no shared blood in their veins. Crazy of her to think there might be more there.

If her friends could see her now, they’d probably laugh at her; the same friends who’d swooned that day her father had picked her up from school with Caleb in the passenger seat of his truck, and Caleb, wearing a Stetson that was about a half-size too big for his head, had given them a cocky grin, looked right into her eyes and said, Afternoon, pretty lady. Not afternoon pretty ladies, even though she’d had about four other girls standing on the curb next to her when he’d said it.

Clearly she’d made way too much of that moment. Sometimes afternoon just meant, afternoonand pretty lady was what a guy called you when he was trying to look cool.

Or so she’d thought earlier that day. Before he took her up on her offer and woke her up in the middle of the night so they could look at the moon together.

Which they do.

Because it’s beautiful.

When he lowers his right hand, the same hand with which he was just pointing to the night sky, her breath catches. Every muscle in her body tenses in anticipation.

Where will it land?

Dance of Desire - RWB Teaser 2

About DANCE OF DESIRE:

When Amber Watson walks in on her husband in the throes of extramarital passion with one of his employees, her comfortable, passion-free life is shattered in an instant. Worse, the fate of the successful country music bar that bears her family’s name suddenly hangs in the balance. Her soon to be ex-husband is one of the bar’s official owners; his mistress, one of its employees. Will her divorce destroy her late father’s legacy?

Not if Amber’s adopted brother Caleb has anything to do with it. The wandering cowboy has picked the perfect time for a homecoming. Better yet, he’s determined to use his brains and his fists to put Amber’s ex in his place and keep the family business intact. But Caleb’s long absence has done nothing to dim the forbidden desire between him and the woman the State of Texas considers to be his sister.

Years ago, when they were just teenagers, Caleb and Amber shared a passionate first kiss beside a moonlit lake. But that same night, tragedy claimed the life of Caleb’s parents and the handsome young man went from being a family friend to Amber’s adopted brother. Has enough time passed for the two of them to throw off the roles Amber’s father picked for them all those years ago? Will their desire for each other save the family business or put it in greater danger?

DANCE OF DESIRE is the first contemporary romance from award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice, told with the author’s trademark humor and heart. It also introduces readers to a quirky and beautiful town in the Texas Hill Country called Chapel Springs.

READER ADVISORY. DANCE OF DESIRE contains fantasies of dubious consent, acted on by consenting adults. Readers with sensitivities to those issues should be advised.

Dance of Desire - RWB Teaser 1

Tracey’s Review

Telling her how he really felt should have been the last option. The absolutely dead-last, nuclear apocalypse option. And touching her? Well, that was beyond the nuclear option. That was a “zombies are breaking down the front door and the only way out is through the nearest window” kind of option.

Amber and Caleb have known forever that their feelings for each other were something special. But just when they were beginning to let each other know, life events changed everything, making anything other than a platonic kind of love unacceptable. True love, though, cannot be denied, and sometimes the heavens smile down on lovers after all.

I was lucky to happen upon one of Christopher’s earlier books in the 1001 Dark Nights series, and really enjoyed it, so when DANCE OF DESIRE came along, I put it right at the top of my TBR list. This little book was a true delight to read. Christopher’s combination of humor, steamy sexiness, and heartfelt emotions, along with great characters and a realistic story line made this one of the most enjoyable, feel-good books I’ve had the opportunity to read lately. The relationship between Amber and her mother had me laughing out loud, and Belinda, Dora, Amanda, and all of the supporting characters are just great. I enjoyed every single bit of this book, and would be happy to see more of these folks in future. 4.5 stars for DANCE OF DESIRE; add this one to your reading list, because you will thoroughly enjoy it.

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

_________________________________________________

About Christopher Rice:

After publishing four New York Times bestselling thrillers by the age of 30 and being declared one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive, award-winning writer Christopher Rice became the first author to make his erotic romance debut part of the 1,001 DARK NIGHTS series. THE FLAME: A Desire Exchange Novella kicked off a steamy new series set in New Orleans, featuring magical candles and a sexy new breed of supernatural beings, The Radiants, who are devoted to helping heroes and heroines realize their heart’s desire. THE FLAME earned accolades from some of the biggest names in erotic romance and was quickly followed up by THE SURRENDER GATE: A Desire Exchange Novel, available from Evil Eye Concepts as a Blue Box Special. Aside from authoring eight works of dark suspense, Christopher is also the co-host and executive producer of THE DINNER PARTY SHOW WITH CHRISTOPHER RICE & ERIC SHAW QUINN, all the episodes of which can be downloaded at TheDinnerPartyShow.com and from iTunes. Make sure you’re subscribed to The Dinner Party Show’s You Tube channel to receive their newest content in 2016.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | DANCE OF DESIRE on Goodreads

Dance of Desire - Now Available

Release Blitz: Never Say Love by Carly Phillips and Lauren Hawkeye

Posted on 02/23/2016 by shellbellereads

never-releaseday

New York Times bestselling authors Carly Phillips and Lauren Hawkeye have a surprise for you today – and that surprise is NEVER SAY LOVE! You can get your hands on sexy playboy Nathan Archer today!

neversaylove-cover

Never Say Love

By Carly Phillips and Lauren Hawkeye

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

neversaylove-cover About NEVER SAY LOVE

Bound by a vow with his friends, hotel tycoon Nathan Archer refuses to settle down and tie the knot. His only commitment is to bachelorhood. Granted, that contract was made when he was 15 years old … and in a treehouse. Still, a promise is a promise. And Nate takes his promises seriously.

But when cute little Eleanor Marshall walks back into his life, this blast from the past is no longer the timid little girl he used to know. When Ellie decides to soothe her bruised ego with one night of hot sex, Nate decides he’s the only man for the job. He’s wanted Ellie forever and it’s only one night.

But Nate is never going to settle down.

Never say never …

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Get a sneak peek of NEVER SAY LOVE:

She removed her dress from its protective plastic, and laid it out on the bedspread. Bending at the waist, Ellie opened the back zipper of her dress. Strapless, it had a boned corset-like bodice that splayed into a sensual flare of lace and chiffon ending at her knees. Studying it, Ellie felt a tremor run through her at the thought of feeling so … exposed. Squaring her shoulders, she prepared herself mentally to don the sexy garment. After all, the nearly sheer dress would help her on her mission. One night of steamy, no holds barred sex.

“Frigid this, Miles,” she said, reaching out a hand for the dress.

A sound at the door had her whirling around, clutching the dress to her scantily clad body. Before she had more than a second to gather her thoughts, the door swung open and she let out a startled shriek.

One that was cut off as a male intruder entered the room, a garment bag slung over his arm.

At a glance, she pegged him as tall, dark-haired, and gorgeous.

He froze in his tracks when he spotted her. “What the hell?” His voice was rough, like the burn of whiskey, and tickled at her memory.

Though it had been years, she placed him immediately. Speak of the devil.

Last time she’d seen him, he’d had shaggy hair and a bad boy vibe that made the high school girls drop their panties with one look. At least, that’s what the rumors and the girls had claimed. And though he still had the bad boy look to him, now he dressed in a black business suit that fit his mouth-watering body like it had been tailor-made for him, which, from what she knew about his large empire, it probably had.

Standing in the doorway, as if her thoughts had conjured him, was Nathan Archer, her childhood crush. A tattooed badass who’d made something of himself with a lucrative chain of trendy boutique hotels. The sexy-as-sin playboy, known for his revolving door of women, stood in her room, exuding sex appeal and looking as perplexed as she felt at the moment.

Okay, maybe not quite as perplexed, because he definitely looked her up and down, taking note of the fact that she was almost naked.

What was he doing here?

She opened her mouth to ask him exactly that—but he beat her to it.

“Ellie Marshall? What are you doing here?” Those storm gray eyes swept over her again, and since the dress she was holding up in front of her was so skimpy, there was still plenty of it to see.

His eyes heated as they slid over the creamy expanse of her exposed skin. Even with her glasses off and being hopelessly near-sighted, she couldn’t miss the flush that rose to his cheeks.

She blinked, processing the fact that Nate Archer had noticed her as a full-blooded woman, looking like he wanted to eat her alive.

And she wanted to let him. She always had.

neversaylove-teaser2

About Lauren Hawkeye

Lauren Hawkeye/ Lauren Jameson never imagined that she’d wind up telling stories for a living… though when she looks back, it’s easy to see that she’s the only one who is surprised. Always “the kid who read all the time”, Lauren made up stories about her favorite characters once she’d finished a book… and once spent an entire year narrating her own life internally. No, really. But where she was just plain odd before publication, now she can at least claim to have an artistic temperament.

Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. In her nonexistent spare time Lauren can be found knitting (her husband claims that her snobby yarn collection is exorbitant), reading anything she can get her hands on, or sweating her way through spin class. She loves to hear from her readers!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Reader Group

About Carly Phillips

After a successful fifteen year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Release Blitz + Excerpt: From Sanctum With Love by Lexi Blake – Masters & Mercenaries Series – Book 10

Posted on 02/23/2016 by shellbellereads

From Sanctum with Love_FB-Ad-1

FromSanctumWithLove_highres (1)

From Sanctum With Love

Masters & Mercenaries Series – Book 10

By Lexi Blake

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

Synopsis:

Psychologist Kai Ferguson has had his eye on Kori Williamson for a long time. His assistant is everything he’s ever wanted in a partner—smart, caring, witty, and a bit of a masochist. More than a little, actually, but that’s the problem. Kori won’t admit her own desires. She’s afraid of him and what he has to offer. Luckily for her, helping patients face their fears is one of his specialties.

Kori knows she wants Kai. Her boss is the most amazing man she’s ever met. She’s also smart enough to stay away from him. Having been down this road before, she knows it only leads to heartache. She’s just found a place where she can belong. Another failed relationship is the last thing she needs. It’s better to guard her heart and let Kai think she’s frightened of his dark, dominant nature.

When Kai is recruited for an operation with McKay-Taggart, everything is turned upside down. Kai’s brother, international superstar Jared Johns, is in town and Kai must juggle his family issues along with a desperate hunt for a serial killer. The investigation throws Kori and Kai together, and they quickly discover the chemistry between them is undeniable. But even if their newfound love can survive his secrets and her lies, it may not be enough to save them both from a killer’s twisted obsession.

FSWLTeaser-3-v2

Excerpt

“Please gag me, Kai. Please.”

“With pleasure, baby.”

She could hear him moving around behind her, and when he came back he had a fresh pair of her undies in his hands.

“Unlike a lot of Doms, I personally enjoy pretty panties. They make such good gags when we need to keep our games private. Open. Since you won’t be able to talk through this spanking, all you have to do to get me to stop is hold up your left hand.”

He was giving her a way to safe word without speaking. She had to admit that the idea that her friends were right down the hallway and Kai was about to do dirty things to her aroused her unbearably. “I can do that.”

“Stand up and ask me to gag you again. Does my sub need a gag in her mouth so she won’t cry out?”

Her nipples were rigid against her tank top. “Yes, Sir. I need it.”

“Open your mouth.” His right hand caught her, forcing her head up. “And I damn straight meant what I said about stopping me if it’s too much. I know you like it, but I won’t damage you for anything. Take it.”

He was rough as he shoved the panties into her mouth. She would never be able to look at those the same way again. He pressed them, filling her mouth and making her jaw ache. It was the right side of pain, exactly enough to start up the chemical reaction in her brain. Some people got runner’s high. She found such peace in this place.

And it was better this time because she could trust Kai.

Because Kai was the one.

“Back down,” Kai ordered.

She turned again, placing her hands down on the bed. She could scream as much as she liked now. For the first time in forever, she could actually let loose.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are? I like having you gagged because you can’t talk back and argue with me. Did you think I didn’t notice that every single time I give you a compliment, you negate it somehow? When I told you that dress was lovely on you last Monday, you told me you had borrowed it from Sarah and I should see how she filled it out.” His hand smacked on her ass, fire skimming her skin. “I don’t care how Sarah fills it out. I care about you. I watch you. I fantasize about you.”

They were not words she’d ever expected to hear from him. Not once. She’d dreamed about him, but she’d convinced herself that nothing could ever happen between them. Tears pricked her eyes, sweet and pure emotion running through her.

He rained down on her skin, the soreness from the previous night making every strike more visceral. She groaned around the gag.

“So that’s a new rule. When I tell you how pretty you are, you’ll thank me. Maybe if you hear it from me enough, you’ll start to believe it, though I think you should know that while you’re gorgeous, it’s not the thing that attracts me to you the most.” Another long volley where all she could hear was the sound of his hand hitting her flesh and then the flash of heat that sank into her bones.

Fuck but she felt alive.

“No, what attracted me to you was the fact that you are the single kindest person I’ve ever met.” He smacked her on the underside of her ass, making her jump slightly, the sensation so close to her rapidly moistening pussy. “You try to hide it, but I see you. I see how you treat people, how you protect them and take care of them. I also see how you never ask for anything yourself.”

He made her sound like a martyr, but it wasn’t like she could defend herself. There was nothing to do but take Kai’s discipline and listen to his words. Over and over her skin lit up and she took in the pain before shaking it off and letting the sensation change deep inside her body. Metamorphosis. It was how she always felt when playing. Like she began as one person and changed somewhere in the middle into someone else—someone stronger, more at peace.

“I’m going to take care of that because I’m going to take care of you and you’re going to let me. You’re going to trust me to take care of you emotionally the way I’m taking care of you physically. I know that’s hard, but I promise I won’t let you down. After last night, after the connection we had, I can’t let us go back to what we were.”

She could see that now. How had she thought for a second that she could breeze back into the office and pretend nothing had happened between them? What happened the night before was more meaningful than simple play. They’d needed each other, filled something that had been missing deep inside.

The pain focused her, helped her to push aside those voices that always seemed so close to the surface. All her nasty doubts and self-loathing melted away when tested against Master Kai’s discipline. She knew so many people who would judge her a freak for needing this, but she’d learned long ago that smart people accepted who they were, what they needed.

She needed Kai and in more ways than one.

Her backside was on fire as he continued, his rough voice keeping a count. Ten and then fifteen. Twenty and more. Somehow he knew exactly what to give her to make her ache for more.

“Thirty.” His hand moved over her skin, holding the heat in as he stroked her flesh. “I don’t want to be finished with this, Kori.”

Neither did she. There was no reason to hold him off. They’d had years of friendship to build a trust like nothing she’d known. She wiggled her ass against his hand because she couldn’t talk and hadn’t been told she could move yet. Rubbing against him was the only way she had to communicate that she wanted him.

He hauled her up, turning her to face him. “You know what I want. I believe I told you the first rule I wanted to change.”

Kisses. He’d claimed he wanted kisses. He gently pulled the panties out of her mouth, tossing them to the side. He lowered his mouth to hers, lips pressing down. He didn’t allow her to control this kiss. His hands sank into her hair and tugged her head back, giving him full access to her mouth. His tongue plunged deep, rubbing along her own in a silky glide. He kissed her over and over again, sinking deeper. She didn’t give a crap that her pants were still around her ankles. All that mattered was the feel of his lips on hers, the way his hands gripped and dominated her. There was power in how he held her, how he moved her, and it made her submissive and willing.

“Please, Kai,” she whispered. She’d spent years without and it had been all right. She’d survived and not even thought about sex. Now she couldn’t stand the thought of him not being inside her. Not one second more. She needed him.

“Tell me you want me.”

“I want you.”

FSWLTeaser-4-vAvail

_________________________________________________

Lexi_Blake NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page

FromSanctumWithLove_highres (1)

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Her Adoring Seal by Caitlyn O’Leary -Midnight Delta Series – Book 3

Posted on 02/23/2016 by shellbellereads

It’s the release day for Her Adoring SEAL by Caitlyn O’Leary! I am so excited to share this fantastic new military romance with you! Caitlyn is sharing an excerpt and giveaway with us to celebrate her release, so check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!

About Her Adoring SEAL:

Her Adoring SEAL

HIDING IN FEAR

Beth Hildago feels shattered after the time she spent in the hands of the Mexican drug cartel. Now her life is on the line as corrupt authorities try to hunt her down.

FIERCE PROTECTOR

Jack Preston is a decorated Navy SEAL who’s family’s Texas Ranch is the perfect place for Beth to hide.

ON THE RUN

When Beth’s cover is blown, she is once again forced to run. This time Jack is not going to leave her side. But what happens when there is an enemy no one ever expected? Can he keep her safe?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Exclusive Excerpt:

They were going to kill her. Jack gripped his gun as he looked into the storage room. Griff was across the square in the bell tower, and Jack had just gotten word he found three of the other doctors and could take down their captors. Aiden and Dex were on other floors of the hospital looking for hostages and tangos. Their lieutenant was outside ready to give the command to Aiden to start taking out the targets. That left him in the basement to find this horror.

The woman was on her knees, her shirt torn, breasts spilling out, and a face covered in blood and bruises. She had one arm wrapped around a man’s hips like a lover, her cheek pressed against his thigh, and her blonde hair tangled with his pubic hair. That’s where the farce ended. The tip of the knife she held was pressed against his balls, and Jack could see a trickle of blood.

“Come closer and I will cut off his cock,” she said in raspy Spanish.

“Kill her.” The man commanded to the three other men in the room.

“Sir, the bullet could hit you.”

“You’re two feet away. You can’t shoot straight? Kill the bitch!”

The woman flinched, and the knife bit into the man’s tender flesh. He yowled.

“Kill her now, she’s cutting me.”

“You keep talking and threatening me and you’ll never father a child. Tell them to back off.”

Jack admired her bravery, but what did she think she was going to accomplish? How in the hell did she think she was going to get out of this mess?

About Caitlyn O’Leary:

Caitlyn Reduced Caitlyn O’Leary is an avid reader, and considers herself a fan first and an author second. She reads a wide variety of genres, but finds herself going back to happily-ever-afters. Getting a chance to write, after years in corporate America is a dream come true. She hopes that her stories provide the kind of entertainment and escape that she has found from some of her favorite authors.

Her Series Include:

THE FOUND:

It’s a bit Paranormal, a bit Sci-Fi and 100% Action/Adventure. The characters have special abilities, that make them targets.

MIDNIGHT DELTA

This is focused on a group of Navy Seals. What makes them special is their bond to one another, and the women they come to love.

FATE HARBOR

This is the series that started her career, it is a Menage Series that takes place in Fate Harbor Washington. It focuses on a tight knit community who live and love and care for one another. She loves to hear from her readers. caitlyn@caitlynoleary.com

Links:

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nuhvey2

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CaitlynOLearyNA

Pinterest: http://tinyurl.com/q36uohc

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/nqy66h7

Website: http://www.caitlynoleary.com

Email: caitlyn@caitlynoleary.com

Rafflecopter Embed Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Atone by Beth Yarnall – Recovered Innocence Series – Book 2

Posted on 02/23/2016 by shellbellereads

Enter to Win a

$25.00 Amazon eGift Card

ATONE

Recovered Innocence #2

Beth Yarnall

Releasing February 23rd, 2016

Loveswept

Beth Yarnall’s sexy and emotional
Recovered Innocence series continues as two broken souls discover that keeping
their hands off each other is even harder than facing their demons.

Beau: Six years. That’s how long I spent
behind bars for a crime I didn’t commit—the murder of the woman I loved. Now
I’m free, but life on the outside is a different kind of prison. I don’t know
who I am or who I want to be. At least I have my sister, Cora. She never
stopped believing in me. She even got me a job at the private investigation
agency that cleared my name. And then Vera Swain walks into Nash Security and
Investigations and kicks my world on its ass.

Vera: There’s only one thing that would
make me come out of hiding after two years on the run: finding my sister. I
made the mistake of telling a monster about her, the same monster who beat me
and broke me. Now I’m forced to confide in Beau Hollis of Nash Security and
Investigations. He looks at me like he knows me—the real me. He sees too much,
makes me feel too much. The pleasure he offers is exciting and
addictive. But I can’t fall for him . . . because my love could get us both
killed.

BUY NOW

Amazon | B
& N |Google
Play| iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt

I don’t have much of value. I’ve left so many things behind that objects no longer have any meaning for me. I could walk out of this pay-by-the-week motel with nothing but the clothes on my back and I’d find a way to survive. It’s a skill that served me well as I got tossed from group home to foster home and back again, and then when I was finally spit out into the world with literally nothing. I left everything when I escaped . . . including my name. You don’t know what your limits are until they’re pushed past breaking. My boundaries have been stitched and restitched back together too many times. I no longer have a sense of what it’s like to be able to set my own parameters.

I’m working on that, but it’s slow going and meticulous. Mostly I stay isolated. Interactions with other people are kept to the bare minimum, unavoidable social necessities. I avoid eye contact and speak only when forced to. I don’t like what I see. You can tell a lot about a person by what lurks in the depths of their eyes. Every ugly thing they think and feel hides there. They smile, but it doesn’t pretty up the person they are inside. What’s that saying? Like putting lipstick on a pig. That’s what smiles are for me. People will smile at you while they hurt you. I no longer trust them.

Everybody has an agenda. I learned this from my mother, whose only plan was letting anyone who would pay her shove their dick in her so she could put a needle in her arm. I learned it from the foster families who accumulated children like part-time jobs, cashing in the checks they got for taking us in, then barely feeding us. And I learned it from the police who failed to protect, and the only serving they did was to their own self-interests.

I don’t know how long I can stay in San Diego. The need to keep moving rides me hard. I’m too close to where everything started and where it ended. Marie is the reason I’m here and the only reason I’ll stay for any length of time. I have to find her. Javier knows about her. I was too stupid not to mention her when I first met him. He’ll remember and he’ll use her to get to me, to get back at me. I can only fight him so far. I will never win against him. But I can try to outsmart him by staying ahead of him and finding Marie first.

Someone bangs on the door and I jump. No one knows I’m here. At least they shouldn’t know. I’ve been careful. But obviously not careful enough. I pull out my gun. It’s always on hand. I don’t have to check it to know it’s ready if I need it. At the door, I stand off-center and look through the peephole to see who’s there. My heart explodes in my chest and I sag in the corner between the door and the wall, breaking out into a sweat.

What the hell is he doing here?

He strikes the door again. “Vera!”

What does he want?

“I can see your shadow under the door,” he says. “Open up.”

I can’t make myself unhook the latch or answer back.

“I’ll keep your secret, but I at least need to know why I’m keeping it.”

I try to work up some spit so I can speak. How did he find me?

“The cameras in front of the agency picked up your Colorado license plate,” he says, answering my unasked question. “It wasn’t easy finding you.” His voice gets quiet, as if his face is pressed to the door. “I want to help you. Let me help you.”

I swipe the sweat off my upper lip. The gun is heavy and reassuring in my shaky hand.

“I didn’t tell Cora. I didn’t tell anyone. I promise. Please, open up.”

My feet barely support me as I come off the wall. I don’t know why I’m doing it, but I slide the lock back and open the door, staying behind it for whatever imaginary protection it can give me. Beau sidesteps through the door and into the room. He’s larger than I remember, crowding his big body into the small room. With the flat of his giant hand he closes the door. I hesitate for a moment before choosing the greater of two fears and slide the lock back into place.

His gaze goes to my gun. He shoves his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and acknowledges it with a jerk of his head. Other than that, he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t say anything. We stare at each other, sizing each other up. I hope I haven’t made a mistake letting him in. A thousand questions sit on my tongue, but I don’t ask them. He said he was here to help. I need help. I don’t want to need it. But there it is. I don’t want to trust him, yet somehow I do. I think I should be afraid, but there’s nothing about him that drives me to run.

“Why are you here?” I finally ask.

“Is she really your sister?”

“Yes.”

“You’re afraid for her.”

“Yes.”

“You’re not going to tell me why.”

“No.”

“Okay.”

He doesn’t ask the question I would ask: Who are you? Because there’s no doubt he knows I’m not who I say I am. He could’ve called the burner number I put down on the agency’s form. Instead, he tracked me down. Was it only to show that he could do it, or is there another reason? Maybe he’s trying to prove to me that I can trust him with this gesture. He could’ve handled it so many different ways, but he chose to maintain my need for anonymity.

“Do you mind if I sit down?” he asks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Beth Yarnall writes romantic
suspense, mysteries, and the occasional hilarious Tweet. She discovered romance
novels in middle school and hasn’t stopped writing since. For a number of
years, she made her living as a hairstylist and makeup artist and co-owned a
salon. Somehow hairstylists and salons always seem to find a way into her
stories. Yarnall lives with her husband, two sons, and their rescue dog in
Orange County, California, where she’s hard at work on her next novel.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Don’t Miss the first title in the Recovered Innocence Series

now on Sale for $0.99

Release Blitz + Review: The Hunted by H.J. Bells

Posted on 02/22/2016 by shellbellereads

Title: The Hunted
Author: H.J. Bellus
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: Feb 22nd

Revenge. Blood. Lies. Hate.

The good guy is the bad guy and the bad guy is the good guy.

Or is that what they want you to believe?

In a city where crime is at an all time high and new mutilated bodies are showing up every day, who do you trust?

He’s the silent neighbor who vanishes at night and reappears when the morning news is reporting on the latest victim.

How do you know this?

You watch him through the curtains as his silent stalker. Everything about him is twisted, but you can’t get past his stare. It’s hypnotizing and the hardest pull you’ve ever experienced…you know it’s all wrong.

Then he walks through your front door covered in blood.

Who will you trust?

“You’ve been fucking that blond all American kid,” he adds.

“I haven’t fucked him.”

“Has he tasted you?”

I slowly nod, feeling ashamed.

“Like I said, you’ve been fucking around with him.”

I scramble to tell him everything and how he’s held this power over me. “It’s your face I see when I’m with him. It’s your face I see when I go to bed. It’s you who I want.” I clutch the sides of his face. “But you won’t give me all of you.”

“Van!” Stew yells, followed by a shit ton of ruckus out in the club.

He sets me down and is gone within seconds. My hands cover my thumping chest as I realize what just happened. My tongue darts out, licking up the little bit of his taste that he left behind on my swollen lips.

Glass crashes in the far off distance as I hear bones breaking and screams soon fill the air over the commotion. I remain frozen to the wall, paralyzed by what just happened. The violence outside doesn’t even rattle me because there’s nothing left to stir up. He’s taken all of me.

Shaking the nonsense from my head, I peek out the end of the hallway and see utter destruction and chaos filling the club and Van is right in the middle of it.

His shirt is ripped once again and this time all the way off as he tries to take down two large men who clearly pissed him off. He gains the upper hand as Stew joins him and helps usher the men to the door.

A few dancers huddled together join me in the dark hall.

“What happened?” I inquire.

“I don’t know. The men just started beating the shit out of each other.”

A petite blonde who is newer and I only know by her stage name Sweet Cheeks speaks up, “I think they may have been exchanging drugs…”

Honey interrupts her, “You saw nothing and will repeat nothing. It’s the only way to stay safe around here.”

Honey stares me down with disgust. “And this bitch deserves no fucking answers.”

I feel the need to defend myself but the venom streaming from her warns me it’s not worth the fucking fight. Pushing out my chest, I ignore her ass. I guarantee she knows exactly what just went down between Van and me. He doesn’t want a stripper whore, he wants me. That’s prize enough.

The front doors to the club slam shut, shattering some glass. When we peek around the corner, Stew and Van make their way back into the club and Van roars, “Closed for the night! Get the fuck out!”

Bodies scatter in every direction. The dancers ditch me to go get dressed–I guess you don’t have to tell them twice about going home early. The large digital clock on the wall reads ten thirty.

Holy shit, Stew is closing down four hours early. Something must be seriously wrong. My legs quake underneath me from the shit storm that just attacked my world. Once they steady up a bit, I walk out into the bar and spot Van down on his knees, examining a little baggy of white powder.

“Bay, head home. The lunch crew can clean up.” Stew’s slumped over on a stool with a whiskey in his hand.

“I can stay and help out.” My voice is feeble as my legs tremble.

“Get your ass home,” Stew grits out.

It’s with dread that I go for my purse and hoodie. Van doesn’t look up as he’s intent on whatever he’s studying. It’s a white powdery substance sprinkled across the floor. My body hungers to go to him, but I know whatever we just shared has been bottled back and locked tightly within him.

“I’ll be back.” I turn to see Van following me out of the club.

Focusing forward, my feet pound the pavement and I hear Van meeting me step for step. My hands fumble with the keys and finally unlock the door, flipping on the porch light quickly. I look back to see Van standing on the sidewalk and then he fades away into the darkness of the night going the opposite way to his place.

**AMAZON * AMAZON UK**

**AMAZON AU * AMAZON CA**

Michel’s Review

The Hunted was the first book that I have read by H. J. Bellus. I enjoyed this love story. It had the perfect combination of romance and red hot sex! The characters were the perfect balance for one another. Their relationship had me swooning, sighing, and falling in love right along with them. They were both dynamic in very different ways that worked well together. I absolutely loved this romance.

On the other hand, this is a dark gritty story that takes place in a violent part of the city. Van Hollis has just been released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He was set up and he’s gunning for the one responsible. The one responsible for his demise is none other than his identical twin brother, that happens to be a corrupt police officer. To top it off, women are being murdered and all the evidence points to Van. Van is determined to get his revenge on his brother and not end up back in prison. Now is not the time for relationships or love. Van can’t stay away from Basil, the sexy, innocent cocktail waitress. As their relationship blossoms, the danger for Basil and Van’s lives escalates.

Their world is spinning out of control. Girls are dying. Van is keeping secrets. And Basil is caught in the middle.

As I said the characters and the romance were wonderful. The problem is that although the characters were well developed in relationship to one another, they kind of fell short when placed within their dangerous world. There were not enough details, in depth revelations, and aha moments. The readers understood the intense hate between Van and his twin brother, but never got an in depth explanation as to why. The explanation given was not enough to give this story a credible base. I’m one of those people that is detail oriented, I want thorough explanations for every action and reaction. The family history seemed a bit abbreviated. The wrap up was quick. The overall plot to this book had potential of being so much more. The one thing I will say is that it had a good love story that kept me invested in the book.

I’m just a simple girl who loves the country life… oh yeah! & a good corn dog! Throw in a little Vanilla Ice, and shits bound to get crazy! Be brave…

-Loves country life & music

-Gets the case of the “eff-its” often

-Loves Big

-Hurts Big

-love corn dogs & candy…. & (sex & candaaay)

-My heart is happy writing!!!

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Hosted By:

Release Blitz + Excerpt: The Revenger by Debra Anastasia

Posted on 02/22/2016 by shellbellereads

The Revenger

By Debra Anastasia

Release Date: February 22, 2016

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU /Amazon FR

Synopsis:

The real hero of this story is dead. You should have met him. He was a beautiful man. The love of my life. I didn’t deserve him.

Now what’s left are the jagged edges of the person I am without him, and what I have to do to get by. This isn’t even a story about love. Not really. It’s a twisted tale of revenge and hate—a happily never after.

The only man in my life now is the one I have to kill.
I’m Savvy Raine.
I used to be a wife.
I used to be a mother.
Now I am the Revenger.

Abstract vintage background

Excerpt

There was very little chatter after the alarming phone call. Savvy looked at the clock. It was only five, but the extra help Tallow had enlisted acted like she was about to disintegrate. When they were finally done, they hung Savvy’s costume from a door, fully expecting her to drop trou in front of all the strangers.
She looked at the silver outfit meant to demean her and classify her as his, just like all his other favorites.
“Yeah, I’m not actually going to be wearing that.” She looked from one shocked person to the other.
Tallow recovered first. “But this is what he told you to wear!”
Savvy laughed hollowly. “Yeah, he can suck his own d*ck for all I care.”
The atmosphere changed. The others now realized Savvy didn’t think it was a huge honor to be a f*ckhole.
“That’s not acceptable. I’ll put you in it myself if I have to, but you’re leaving here in that outfit.” Tallow bravely gathered up the skirt and came into Savvy’s personal space. He obviously thought she was just a regular girl.
In an instant she’d lifted Tallow into the air by his neck. “I’m not wearing it.” She stared him down until he began to turn blue. Then she set him back on his feet.
Tallow was a quick learner and smoothed his fancy shirt. “Okay then, let me see what else we have.”

Michel’s Review

Looking for something different to read? The Revenger by Debra Anastasia is the perfect choice. It’s not the typical fictional story or a typical romance. In fact I would say it is not a romance novel at all. But it is a love story… a story about a mothers love. A mother’s greatest gift is nurturing, teaching, sacrificing, and loving unconditionally.

Without giving away spoilers, I will say that Savvy Raine is an extraordinary character. She is a hero, a villain,a teacher,a friend, and your worst enemy. Her motivating factor is her love for her family. She has lost her sense of self and is consumed by her need for vengeance. As the story unfolds Savvy Raine gives more than most people only hope to give.

The Revenger is an unusual story that is emotional and entertaining. I highly recommend this book.

___________________________________________

There are a lot of eyes in Debra Anastasia’s house in Maryland. First, her own creepy peepers are there, staring at her computer screen. She’s made two more sets of eyes with her body, and the kids they belong to are amazing. The poor husband is still looking at her after 17 years of marriage. At least he likes to laugh. Then the freaking dogs are looking at her—six eyeballs altogether, though the old dog is blind. And the cat watches her too, mostly while knocking stuff off the counter and doing that internal kitty laugh when Deb can’t catch the items fast enough.

In between taking care of everything those eyes involve, Debra creates pretend people in her head and paints them on the giant, beautiful canvas of your imagination. What an amazing job that is. The stories hit her hard while driving the minivan or shaving her legs, especially when there’s no paper and pen around. In all of the lies she writes hides her heart, so thank you for letting it play in your mind.

Debra is eternally grateful to Omnific Publishing, which has now published five of her books: two in the Seraphim Series and three in the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood Series, as well as her novella, Late Night with Andres. That one is special because 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. (So go get it right now, please!)

You can find her at DebraAnastasia.com and on Twitter @Debra_Anastasia. But be prepared…

Early Release… Now Available… Set The Pace by Kim Karr – The Detroit Love Duet – Book 1

Posted on 02/21/2016 by shellbellereads

STP - AN

Set the pace FOR WEB

Set The Pace

The Detroit Love Duet – Book 1

By Kim Karr

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Every city needs a hero, but Detroit’s white knight just might be a villain.

A rough childhood branded Jasper Storm trouble. A bad boy. Not worth a damn. His love of cars was the only thing that could battle his delinquency. With the need for speed in his blood, he overcame his wayward ways. Mostly. Now the broken city of Detroit hails him their shining star. And the man behind a new cutting-edge automobile is ready to turn this bankrupt town around.

Charlotte Lane was the tomboy who lived next door. She was his best friend. He was her protector. Then tragedy struck and she disappeared, forever—or so he thought.

Everything Jasper does in life is fast. He talks fast, f*cks fast, and drives fast. But when one reckless turn brings him face-to-face with the childhood he has tried very hard to forget, he finds himself on the edge of wondering if he shouldn’t slow down.

Time hasn’t erased who they are though. Jasper has many reasons to hate Charlotte and keep his distance, which is easier said than done. Soon she’s infiltrating his every thought and he can’t stay away. Back in town with an agenda of her own, she should push him aside. Make him turn around. Walk away herself. Yet she can’t.

With the past lurking between them, they proceed with caution. That is until one sex-filled night leads to murder, and things are forced to change. Now that Detroit’s biggest ally has suddenly become suspect number one, will Charlotte—the girl Jasper once kept safe—be the one to save him?

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Set the Pace

Excerpt

Jasper Storm

Control is an absolute necessity when driving fast on the road, and there is no other car that applies force to the pavement as directly as the Storm. Whether turning the wheel, accelerating the gas, or stepping on the brake, I am always in contact with the road, and therefore I always have control.

Too bad I can’t say the same for my life, which right now seems to be spinning out of control.

Driving through the streets of the old Cass Corridor, I manage to suppress the bad memories of my childhood from surfacing. Sure, the area’s history is a sad cocktail of drugs, prostitution, and crippling poverty. And even though this section of midtown is a shadow of its former self, I can still see the neglect in the thoughtless demolition. However, as I come to a stop in front of Charlotte’s building, I can also spot change and hope for the future.

Then again, her building isn’t the grimy brick front with a dark lobby lit only by streaks of light through cracked windowpanes that I grew up in. Her stairs aren’t rotting, her hallway isn’t a putrid shade of green, the carpet isn’t worn, nor does it smell like piss, and there isn’t the yelling going on that makes me want to cover my ears.

This isn’t the same place where I grew up.

Slowly, I glance around. She’s right—her building isn’t that bad. As I take the stairs and look out the window, I think I might have been a bit harder on her than I needed to be.

Walking down the hallway, I can’t suppress the smile on my face when I see that her bike is just outside the door. This means she’s planning on coming with me. After my confession last night, I wasn’t exactly sure she would.

Way too soon, I’m standing in front of her apartment.

Not quite ready for this, I give myself the pep talk. This is not a date.

Not.

Date.

Answers.

You’re looking for answers.

That’s all.

You don’t need to be thinking of her in any other way than as someone you used to know. You look only at her face. You definitely don’t watch the way she moves. You don’t need to feel guilty because you f*cked her co-worker. You don’t even remember much about it anyway. And for fuck’s sake, you don’t need to be thinking about how good this girl would feel wrapped around you.

With that out of the way, I’m feeling clear-headed and focused. Before that changes, I hurry up and knock.

No one answers.

I knock again.

Maybe she changed her mind and she isn’t going to come with me after all.

Feeling impatient, I knock one more time.

“Just a minute,” I hear from inside.

The sound of her voice makes me feel desperate to see her. That’s not a good thing. I should leave. I really should. I seriously consider it for about a hot minute. Nothing but bad can come out of this. But my feet seem cemented in place and when I hear the click-clack of a lock and it begins to turn, it’s too late.

Slowly the door opens and she comes into view. As soon as she does, the wind is knocked right out of my lungs. She looks a little disheveled but all the more beautiful because of it. Feeling like I’ve been zapped, I’m overwhelmed by the energy between us and it holds me in place. Everything about her is like it used to be—just the sexier, hotter, grown-up version. Her hair is pulled back, but even so, it still looks wild and untamed. She always said her hair was a bother and she just wanted it out of the way. Because I used to really like her hair, it always made me laugh.

I still like her hair, and the fact that she pulled it back because it might be a bother makes me want to laugh now. That, along with the toothpaste on her lip, is just too much. I try to hold back my laughter but fail miserably.

“What?” she asks with mild curiosity.

“Nothing,” I say with a shake of my head. “It’s just I wasn’t sure you’d come with me today.”

She looks at me as if considering her words, and I use this time to study her further. She’s not wearing any makeup and everything about her face screams how gorgeous she is. For no reason at all, my chest tightens.

It doesn’t mean anything.

So what if it took less than 1.4 seconds for that hurricane within me to start batting around.

It means nothing.

But then that fucking myriad of conflicting emotions starts to mess with my mind and yeah, I realize, it means something. Just like that, it’s as if my pep talk never took place. Still, I can handle this. Find out what she knows. Drop her off. And say goodbye—forever.

How hard can it be?

Reader * Writer * Coffeelover * Romantic

Kim Karr is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She is a daydreamer. So much so that if daydreaming could be a hobby it would be her favorite. It’s how her stories are born and how they take root. An imagination that runs wild is something to be thankful for, and she is very thankful.

She grew up in New York and now lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She’s always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and with the rest of her time embraces one of her biggest passions–writing.

Kim wears a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of her family. However, she always finds time to read.

She likes to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. She loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Tag Archives: Release Blitz

Release Blitz + Review: We Were Here by Daisy Prescott

We Were Here by Daisy Prescott Review and Excerpt Blog Tour- Feb 23-26

New Release… Target On Our Backs by J.M. Darhower – Monster In His Eyes Series – Book 3

Release Blitz + Review: Dance Of Desire by Christopher Rice

Amazon eBook Amazon Paperback**

Website | Facebook | Twitter | DANCE OF DESIRE on Goodreads

Release Blitz: Never Say Love by Carly Phillips and Lauren Hawkeye

New York Times bestselling authors Carly Phillips and Lauren Hawkeye have a surprise for you today – and that surprise is NEVER SAY LOVE! You can get your hands on sexy playboy Nathan Archer today!

Get a sneak peek of NEVER SAY LOVE:

About Lauren Hawkeye

About Carly Phillips

Release Blitz + Excerpt: From Sanctum With Love by Lexi Blake – Masters & Mercenaries Series – Book 10

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Her Adoring Seal by Caitlyn O’Leary -Midnight Delta Series – Book 3

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Atone by Beth Yarnall – Recovered Innocence Series – Book 2

Release Blitz + Review: The Hunted by H.J. Bells

**AMAZON * AMAZON UK**

**AMAZON AU * AMAZON CA**

Release Blitz + Excerpt: The Revenger by Debra Anastasia

Early Release… Now Available… Set The Pace by Kim Karr – The Detroit Love Duet – Book 1

We Were Here by Daisy Prescott Review and Excerpt Blog Tour- Feb 23-26

Share this:

Share this:

Amazon eBook ** Amazon Paperback

Website | Facebook | Twitter | DANCE OF DESIRE on Goodreads

Share this:

New York Times bestselling authors Carly Phillips and Lauren Hawkeye have a surprise for you today – and that surprise is NEVER SAY LOVE! You can get your hands on sexy playboy Nathan Archer today!

Get a sneak peek of NEVER SAY LOVE:

About Lauren Hawkeye

About Carly Phillips

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

AMAZON * AMAZON UK

AMAZON AU * AMAZON CA

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Amazon eBook Amazon Paperback**

**AMAZON * AMAZON UK**

**AMAZON AU * AMAZON CA**