Review: The Remedy For Love by Bill Roorbach

Posted on 10/14/2014 by shellbellereads

The Remedy For Love

By Bill Roorbach

Synopsis

“One of the best novels of this or any year . . . A flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller.” —David Abrams, author of Fobbit

They’re calling it the “Storm of the Century,” so Eric stops at the market for provisions on his way home from work. But when the unkempt and seemingly unstable young woman in front of him in line comes up short on cash, a kind of old-school charity takes hold of his heart—twenty bucks and a ride home is the least he can do, right? Trouble is, Danielle doesn’t really have a home. She’s squatting in a cabin deep in the woods, no electricity, no heat, nothing but the nearby river to sustain her. She’ll need food, water, firewood, and that’s just to get her through the storm: there’s a whole Maine winter ahead.

So he gets her set up, departs with relief, climbs to the road, but his car has been towed with his phone inside, and the snow is coming down with historic speed and violence. There’s no choice but to return to the cabin. Danielle is terrified, then merely hostile—who is this guy with his big idea that it’s she who needs rescuing? As the snow keeps mounting, they’re forced to ride out the storm together. For better and for worse.

The Remedy for Love is a harrowing story about the truths we reveal when there is no time or space for artifice.

“The Remedy for Love is not the remedy for sleep deprivation. You’ll stay up all night . . . It is relentless and brilliant. Leave it to Roorbach to tease out the subtlest nuances in the progress of love while stoking a tale that is as gripping as any Everest expedition–and that is also tender and terrifying and funny and, in the end, so true it seems inevitable. I’m not sure there’s another American writing today who can lay down a love story, or any story, with the depth and appeal and freshness of Bill Roorbach.” —Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars.

Buy: Amazon

Tina’s Review

Eric is a small-town, still (mostly-not) married lawyer. He is suddenly overcome with a need to provide for and protect this woman he is standing in line behind. The odoriferous, tattered creature at the grocery store is trying to pay for some groceries, but comes up short. Eric covers her shortage, then further pushes by offering her a ride home from the store, which he learns is nearly six miles away, with a winter storm moving in. Then he feels obligated to help her carry her groceries to a cabin tucked WAY back off the road as the weather worsens. This is all happening as the little town is gearing up for “The Storm of the Century” as the meteorologists are calling it. He does more for her, eventually becoming stranded there himself. The cabin is is a summer place. There is zero winterization, no plumbing for water or restrooms, and no electricity.

The cover actually caught my attention, all that blue-white of fresh snow in the moonlight. The book summary was interesting. I’d never heard of or read anything by this author before so I figured I’d be a good candidate for providing an unbiased, honest review.
“Danielle for-now” immediately gives off the impression of a squatter living outside town. Her personality seems to suggest a mental disorder may be at play. The way she speaks and her social skills & manners are odd. It’s almost like a Schizophrenic – Autistic combo. Maybe some dementia. She’s odd. You never know if what she’s telling you is true or make-believe. She speaks of her husband Jim often but parts of her story changes as she tells things.My first impression of this book is that it is strangely written. Some sentences qualify as a paragraph, while other sentences are a single word. The choice of wording and phrasing also, at times, seems… disjointed, erratic, unclear. I found it NOT to be an easy read and comprehension was murky sometimes on the first pass, having to read it once -or more- again.

They are stranded together in this secluded cabin after his car is towed and their “relationship” is extremely dysfunctional. The characters and writing was so chaotic at times, it really was hard to develop any kind of attachment to Danielle and/or Eric. Both are married, but not, but are. (Does that make any sense?) It claims to be a romance, but I really did not feel the love. It was more a bonding of misplaced souls, to me. The plot was fantastic, however; I truly enjoyed the concept. The conflicts, as they arose, were met with satisfactory resolve. The ending was a little loose, but sufficient. I would have liked to see an epilogue that entailed Eric’s marital status. Jim’s situation was predictable though.
Overall, I nearly felt that I needed medication from all the craziness this book contained. It was truly chaotic and challenging to get through. I have to deduct points for the level of insanity, but feel I need to say again that I did not necessarily dislike the characters & I did like the concept. Overall, I’m not sure I would recommend this to the average reader.

Author Bio:

Bill Roorbach’s newest novel is The Remedy For Love, coming October 2014 from Algonquin Books. Life Among Giants, also from Algonquin, is in development for a multi-year series at HBO, and won the 2014 Maine Literary Award in Fiction. Big Bend: Stories has just be re-released by Georgia in its Flannery O’Connor Award series. Temple Stream is soon to be re-released by Down East Books. Bill is also the author of the romantic memoir SUMMERS WITH JULIET, the novel THE SMALLEST COLOR, the essay collection INTO WOODS. The tenth anniversary edition of his craft book, WRITING LIFE STORIES, is used in writing programs around the world. His short fiction has been published in Harper’s, The Atlantic Monthly, Playboy, and dozens of other magazines, journals, and websites, and has been featured on NPR’s Selected Shorts, and won an O. Henry Prize. He lives in western Maine where he writes full time.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Pull by Claire Wallis- Sequel to Push-Push 6 Star Review + 2014 Favorite

Posted on 10/09/2014 by shellbellereads

Pull

Sequel to Push

Release Date: November 6, 2014

By Claire Wallis

Synopsis

***PULL is the continuation of Claire Wallis’ sharp and shocking debut novel, PUSH. It is the second book in the series and is not intended to be a standalone.***

“It is impossible for someone like me—someone with a sin-list capable of wrapping itself around the world—to find redemption. To be repaired.”

David Calgaro has secrets, and the only woman he’s ever loved is about to pay the ultimate price to protect them. He’s spent a lifetime searching for purpose and control. And the only place he’s managed to find them is in a single, perfect moment; a moment in which he has absolute control over someone else’s life.

David is unredeemable, unfixable, unsalvageable. But Emma Searfoss has forced a tiny sliver of hope to penetrate his soul. Hope that, even though redemption is impossible, maybe life isn’t. Maybe he isn’t who he thought he was. Maybe he’s meant to be more.

This is a new adult novel with mature content for readers 17 and up.

Push

Book 1

By Claire Wallis

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Synopsis

I feel like I am wrapped in a cyclone. Everything is whirling around me, drawing the air out of my lungs and filling me with the best kind of turmoil. Every time his tongue slides against mine, a prickle in my gut tells me how right we are together. How much I need David. How much I need us.

I hope the cyclone never stops.

Emma Searfoss has spent a lifetime trying to escape her abusive stepfather. It’s why she moved far away from home. It’s why she’s kept no ties with her remaining family. And it’s why she’s got a major rage problem. When her neighbor shows up to fix the kitchen in her new apartment, his enigmatic charm calms the fire in her. David is cool and collected, and he makes Emma feel safe for the first time ever. But David has his own chilling past—his six previous girlfriends have all disappeared without a trace. Emma’s walking a dangerous line, but David’s pull is intoxicating. And impossible to resist…

Michel’s Review

*** I wrote this review in May 2014 when Push was first released. After 5 months and several books reviewed, I have not been able to forget this book. I am still blown away by the intensity and the emotional impact this book had on me. I have recommended this book to several of my seasoned reader friends and they have had the same kind of reactions. Claire Wallis delivered a unique story with a very untraditional writing style. There were two prologues and two epilogues are written from each character’s POV. The content of the book is mostly written in third person but has chapters throughout the book written in first person POV from supporting characters. It is choreographed in a very deliberate manner that stuns the readers. The writing is absolutely brilliant! ***

Push by Claire Wallis is getting a lot of attention in the reader world. There are discussion groups dedicated to this book. All the major review sites and bloggers are blowing up over this book. It has every reader reacting! How could I not read this book? I had to know what was causing this kind of hysteria.

Now that I have finished this book, I completely understand all the reactions and sensation this book is generating.

Everything about Push is completely original. The plot is intricately woven. The reader gets a look at both the characters pasts as well as their present. The book is mostly written from Emma’s point of view. We get to know David through their conversations, Emma’s point of view, past girlfriends’ point of views, the prologue and epilogue. The author brilliantly takes the reader into the complicated worlds these characters evolved from. She develops a story that will keep the reader consumed to the very last word. When all is said and done, all the reader can think is WTF! I had to peel my jaw off the ground. I felt like I needed a shot of whiskey to calm me down. I felt like I needed a whole bottle of antacid to get my stomach out of knots. I needed the next book….. like YESTERDAY!

Push is exhilarating, chilling, horrific, distressing, anguishing, tormenting and heartbreaking. At the same time, the reader experiences an unusual but beautiful relationship. A relationship that goes beyond the kind of love most relationships are based on. Everything about this couple worked. They were exactly what each other needed. But sometimes having that perfection is not enough. This is the case with David and Emma.

When I started this book I was immediately drawn in. There are two prologues, one from Emma’s point of view and the other from David’s point of view. The prologues made it very clear what was going to happen at the end of the book. I was flabbergasted! I had to know more. I had to find out how they came to this point. I was hoping that the ending would turn out differently.

Emma was a very impressive heroine. She had a horrible childhood. She was mentally and verbally abused by her stepfather. Her stepfather ruined her family. But despite her ugly past, she didn’t let it drag her down. She is feisty, independent, self sufficient, aggressive, tough, and hard. She doesn’t believe in love. She doesn’t trust easily. She never gives anyone a piece of her heart. She’s okay with who she is. When she meets David, pieces of herself that she locked away begin to surface. He accepts her for who she is. He wants to protect her and take care of her. He is tender, caring, and supportive. He is everything she never knew she needed. He is perfect for her even though he has a slew of hidden secrets. She is okay with that. She accepts him for who he is because like her he has been to hell and back.

David is one of the most complicated characters I have ever experienced. On one hand I absolutely loved him. He is compassionate, giving, tender, and loving in his own unique way. He has a mesmerizing personality that is hard not to love. On the other hand, deep down he is a monster. He is your worst nightmare. Your heart breaks when you find out how he evolved into this horrific person. You are hoping that his relationship with Emma will somehow change him. Some people are not fixable.

Somehow these two messed up souls are beautiful together. They give each other what they need. They bring out the very best and the very worst in each other. They embrace it all. They are chaotic perfection together.

When you reach the end, there are two epilogues. One epilogue is from Emma’s point of view and the other is from David’s point of view. The ending will leave you with your heart in your feet, stomach in knots, and ugly tears running down your face. It ends on a major CLIFFHANGER!

Push by Claire Wallis blew my mind! I cannot wait for the sequel. I hope the publisher does not leave us readers hanging for long. I don’t think I can get this book out of my head.

Push by Claire Wallis is clearly the book that is going to soar to the top of 2014 Book of the Year list.

Note: This review is based on my reactions and emotions. The writing was flawless. The plot was brilliant. The overall story to this point is heart wrenching.

Robin’s Review

It has been three weeks since I finished reading Push by Claire Wallis, and I still think about this novel. Or should I say obsess? This is the exception. Generally, my head shifts focus with each novel that I begin reading. Reviewing novels is hard. Sometimes it takes all of the fun out of reading when you have to focus on what you want to say when you write the review. When I read Push, I knew our blog had already covered this story. So, I read it for sheer enjoyment. And I can’t forget it. I can’t escape this story. Have you read the synopsis? Push is dark romance at its finest. Go read this thriller now because the sequel Pull is being published soon! 6 stars to Claire Wallis for her debut novel!

Author Bio:

Enamored with the process of creating messy characters filled with imperfections and wicked inclinations, Claire believes that you don’t actually have to like a character to fall in love with them – a good story, after all, is best served with a hearty side of evil (just ask Disney). Claire’s first New Adult novel, Push, was released by MIRA Books on May 1st 2014. The story speaks to her appreciation of enigmatic male characters, perfectly capable of charming themselves straight into your unwilling heart. She enjoys writing about characters that are, at any given moment, both loathed and loved. You know, the ones that refuse to be forgotten.

Claire Wallis has penned hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles over the last ten years, with science playing the lead role in almost all of them. Though non-fiction writing will forever be her first love, fiction has unexpectedly swooped in, hooked her by the soul, and become her true love. As a result of this coup d’état, Claire’s writing career has made a complete U-turn, and instead of rocks, plants, insects, and microbes, she is now putting human characters in the lead.

Claire’s previous jobs include working at a limestone quarry, hawking vegetables at a farmer’s market, clerking at the dollar store, and convincing new mothers that they need to renew their subscription to that parenting magazine in order for their child to survive. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly awesome husband and son.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Day Blitz + Review + Giveaway: Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

Posted on 10/07/2014 by shellbellereads

Holy cannoli, y’all! It’s finally here! We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker’s BURYING WATER! BURYING WATER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, published by Simon & Schuster and it will blow. You. Away! Check out the excerpt, teasers, and giveaway then run–don’t walk–to your nearest retailer!

Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Kobo IndieBound

About BURYING WATER:

The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

BURYING WATER Excerpt:

Prologue

Jesse

Now

This can’t be real . . . This can’t be real . . . This can’t be real . . .

The words cycle round and round in my mind like the wheels on my speeding ’Cuda as its ass-end slips and slides over the gravel and ice. This car is hard to handle on the best of days, built front-heavy and overloaded with horsepower. I’m going to put myself into one of these damn trees if I don’t slow down.

I jam my foot against the gas pedal.

I can’t slow down now.

Not until I know that Boone was wrong about what he claims to have overheard. His Russian is mediocre at best. I’ll giveanything for him to be wrong about this.

My gut clenches as my car skids around another turn,the cone shape of Black Butte looming like a monstrous shadow ahead of me in the pre-dawn light. The snowy tire tracks framed by my headlights might not even be the right ones, but they’re wide like Viktor’s Hummer and they’re sure as hell the only ones down this old, deserted logging road. No one comes out here in January.

The line of trees marking the dead end comes up on me before I expect it. I slam on my brakes, sending my car sliding sideways toward the old totem pole. It’s still sliding when I cut the rumbling engine, throw open the door, and jump out, fumbling with my flashlight. It takes three hard presses with my shaking hands to get the light to hold.

I begin searching the ground. The mess of tread marks tells me that someone pulled a U-turn. The footprints tell me that more than one person got out. And when I see the half-finished cigarette butt with that weird alphabet on the filter, I know Boone wasn’t wrong.

“Alex!” My echo answers once . . . twice . . . before the vast wilderness swallows up my desperate cry. With frantic passes of my flashlight, my knuckles white against its body, I search the area until I spot the sets of footprints that lead off the old, narrow road and into the trees.

Frigid fingers curl around my heart.

Darting back to my car, I snatch the old red-and-blue plaid wool blanket that she loves so much from the backseat. Ice-cold snow packs into the sides of my sneakers as I chase the trail past the line of trees and into the barren field ahead, my blood rushing through my ears the only sound I process.

The only sign of life.

Raw fear numbs my senses, the Pacific Northwest winter numbs my body, but I push forward because if . . .

The beam of light passes over a still form lying facedown in the snow. I’d recognize that pink coat and platinum-blond hair of hers anywhere; the sparkly blue dress that she hates so much looks like a heap of sapphires against a white canvas.

My heart freezes.

“Alex.” It’s barely a whisper. I’m unable to produce more, my lungs giving up on me. I run, stumbling through the foot of snow until I’m on my knees and crawling forward to close the distance. A distance of no more than ten feet and yet one that seems like miles.

There’s no mistaking the spray of crimson freckling the snow around her head. Or that most of her long hair is now dark and matted. Or that her silver stockings are torn and stained red, and a pool of blood has formed where her dress barely covers her thighs. Plenty of footprints mark the ground around her. He must have been here for a while.

I know that there are rules to follow, steps to make sure that I don’t cause her further harm. But I ignore them because the sinking feeling in my stomach tells me I can’t possibly hurt her more than he already has. I nestle her head with one hand while I slide the other under her shoulder. I roll her over.

Cold shock knocks the wind out of me.

I’ve never seen anybody look like this.

I scoop her limp body into my arms, cradling the once beautiful face that I’ve seen in every light—rage to ecstasy and the full gamut in between—yet is now unrecognizable. Placing two blood-coated fingers over her throat, I wait. Nothing.

A light pinch against her lifeless wrist.Nothing.

Maybe a pulse does exist but it’s hidden, masked by my own racing one.

Then again, by the look of her, likely not.

One . . . two . . . three . . . plump, serene snowflakes begin floating down from the unseen sky above. Soon, they will converge and cover the tracks, the blood. The evidence.Mother Nature’s own blanket to hide the unsightly blemish in her yard.

“I’m so sorry.” I don’t try to restrain the hot tears as they roll down my cheeks to land on her mangled lips—lips I had stolen plenty of kisses from, back when I was too stupid to realize how dangerous that really was. This is my fault. She had warned me. If I had just listened, had stayed away from her, had not told her how I felt . . .

. . . had not fallen wildly in love with her.

I lean down to steal a kiss even now, the coppery taste of her blood mixing with my salty tears. “I’m so damn sorry. I should never have even looked your way,” I manage to get out around my sobs, tucking the blanket she loved to curl up in over her.

An almost inaudible gasp slips out. A slight breeze against my mouth more than anything else.

My lungs freeze, my eyes glued to her, afraid to hope. “Alex?” Is it possible?

A moment later, a second gasp—a wet, rattling sound—escapes.

She’s not dead.

Not yet, anyway.

Michel’s Review

K. A. Tucker’s writing always blows me away. Her gift of story telling has readers enthralled from the very first word to the very last punctuation mark. Her characters come to life and jump off the pages. Their stories keep the reader captivated.

Unlike the Ten Tiny Breaths series, Burying Water has taken K.A. Tucker in a new direction. This gripping novel has some darker undertones. Although the darker undertones set the pace for the story, the real focus is the kind of love that will be cherished forever.

Burying Water is thrilling novel packed with mystery, intrigue, violence, romance, and the importance of family ties.

I am not going to give many more details because there would be too many spoilers.

I found the characters, Jesse and Water, compelling. The secondary cast and their contributions were an integral part of this story. Their characters stood out and made the readers take just as much notice of their part in the story as the main characters did.

Burying Water played on every emotion. One moment I was laughing, the next I was cringing, crying, or overwhelmed with excitement. It is an intense book that engages the reader’s mind as well as senses.

The romance in the story was amazing. It was almost like two romances in one. There was the before romance that was consuming and forbidding. The after romance was a deep sensual slow build that slowly kindled into a blaze.

I was blown away with this book. K. A. Tucker has become one of my all time favorite writers.

I highly recommend Burying Water!

About K.A. Tucker:

Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader, and currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Website Twitter Facebook Novel Goodreads Author Goodreads YouTube Pinterest Instagram**

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Review: Chains by Kelli Maine

Posted on 10/01/2014 by shellbellereads

Chains

An MMA Romantic Suspense

By Kelli Maine

Synopsis

Chained To The Past.

On the brink of going pro in MMA, Tyler Graves has defied his past—a past where going to jail for beating the hell out of his foster father took him away from the girl he loved and swore to protect, leaving her in the house of the man who abused them both.

Chained To Regret.

No matter how much time has passed, Danielle Debasco weighs on Ty’s mind and conscience. He was supposed to save her, instead he abandoned her.

Chained To Love.

To free Danny from the abusive man who still haunts her, Ty’s faced with sacrificing his future by finishing what he started four years ago—taking vengeance. But, this time will be different. This time he won’t stop until the horrors of their past are sealed not just in blood, but in death.

-ADULT CONTENT-
Sex, Language, Violence

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Excerpt

I grabbed a plastic cup and filled it with vodka. Weaving through a group of women who were dancing, I found myself surrounded, trapped by hungry, grinding hips, fingers that snuck up my t-shirt and lips that whispered in my ear. I couldn’t hear her words, but had enough sense to know when I was being invited into a woman’s bed.

I tipped my cup back and opened my throat, letting ounce after ounce of burning vodka slide down. When it was gone, I tossed the cup aside and grabbed the waist of the girl in front of me. I pulled her ass against me and grinded into her. She threw her head back against my chest, lifted her arms over her head and swiveled as she bent her knees, lowering herself below my waist. She turned, hooked her fingers behind my belt and looked up at me with smoldering eyes. She licked her lips. My cock twitched in anticipation. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up. “Outside,” I said. “Now.”

We pushed through the crowd and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Her hand squeezed my ass. I reached over and tweaked her nipple, hard through her tight, stretchy shirt.

We rounded the corner to the side of the motel. A few people stood down at the far end of the building, but it was dark enough she could blow me. She put her hands on my chest and groaned low in her throat. “God, I want this body,” she said.

“I want your mouth on me.” I squeezed her tits, and her hands ran down over my stomach. She squatted down, unbuttoning my jeans. The zipper followed, and her hand pulled me out. I leaned back against the brick wall as her lips closed around my head. Her mouth was hot, and she knew how to stroke a cock. After the day I had, coming in this chick’s mouth was about all I had the strength left in me to do.

I watched her as she sucked me in. Her hand disappeared up her skirt, getting herself off at the same time. That should’ve done it for me, but I was distracted. I wasn’t even enjoying it. I don’t know what the fuck my problem was.

“That’s enough,” I said, hauling her to her feet.

“What’s wrong?” She stumbled in her heels, and I held her up.

“Nothing. It was perfect. I’m just　 not into it tonight.”

She looked disappointed. And pissed. “Yeah. Well. Whatever. No big deal. Your dick’s not that big anyway.” It was a lie. We both knew it.

I tucked it back in my pants and watched her retreat around the corner of the building. I waited a few minutes until my cock settled down, then went back around to the sidewalk. I should’ve stayed in my room. I was in no mood for a party and all the fake bullshit that went along with it.

When I got to the door to the party, this one chick wouldn’t move to let me by. “Hey,” I said. “Excuse me. I need by you.”

She turned and locked her bloodshot blue eyes on me.

Time froze as we stared at each other.

Her blond hair was dull, her complexion sallow, her body too thin. Drugs. I’d know their effects anywhere.

“Danny,” I said, catching her by the elbows. “Do you know who I am?”

Her eyes trailed over my face. Jesus, she was rocked out of her mind. Her pupils were dilated and sweat dripped down her neck between her small breasts into her low-cut shirt.

“Danielle,” I said, leaning closer. “It’s me—Tyler.”

“Tyler,” she said, and threw her arms around my neck.

Guilt crushed against my sternum. I left her, and look what she became. “Let’s get out of here.” I turned her around and steered her down the sidewalk.

Michel’s Review

If you are looking for a short book to read you may want to consider Chains by Kelli Maine. It is a gripping story of an MMA fighter stepping outside of the ring and taking on a new fight in the real world of life.

Tyler Graves has a bright future in the world of MMA fighting. He is about to turn pro. He just needs a few more fights in the amateur circuit. While competing in one of those fights his contender starts running his mouth about Danielle Debasco. The one and only girl he ever loved. A girl that shared his abusive past. A girl that he left behind when he escaped at age eighteen. A girl that deserves more than his desertion. A girl that owns his heart.

Learning that Danny’s life has gone even farther downhill than the abusive past they shared, Tyler is determined to find her. He will have to make choices that could ruin his life now. The choices can ruin his career. But if he can save Danny, any choice he makes will be worth it.

After Tyler beat their foster father to near death and left home, Danny has been subject to harsher abuses from him. Her escape is in the world of drugs. She is an addict that will do anything for another fix. She doesn’t want Tyler to rescue her from her life.

As this story unfolds the readers will experience the horrific past that Tyler, Danny, and their foster brother endured. Each came out of those experiences scarred. Each chose a different path in life. For Tyler it was professional fighting, for Alex it was controlling his life and wealth by dealing drugs, and for Danny it was escaping in drug abuse and trying to stay one step ahead of her obsessive foster father. These three will reunite and become the family they once were.

There will be some horrific events that will shatter them all. The one thing that ties them together will be the one thing that can destroy their lives. Their foster father, Striker.

Danny and Tyler will find the lasting love they have always craved but they will have to pay a high price for that love.

Chains was a good short book. I would of liked to seen this book a bit longer. The plot was strong and held me captive, but I did feel it was rushed. The events throughout the book happened in a matter of days. To me it didn’t seem like enough time for Danny to give up her addiction, for Danny and Tyler to form a strong relationship, and to escape the clutches of Striker. I was also unclear of the background of the story, such as where they were from, how Striker could easily find them, and what happened to Alex in the in between years.

If you are looking for a short book to read , Chains by Kelli Maine will fit the bill.

Author Bio:

Kelli Maine is the erotic romance author of USA Today Bestseller and #1 Nook book, Taken, and the Give & Take series, along with the Dolls & Doms novellas and Chains. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband and kids. When she’s not writing, Kelli enjoys watching reality T.V., getting lost in random Wikipedia pages and searching online ads for vintage muscle cars.

Favorite Author: Diana Gabaldon
Favorite Food: Japanese
Favorite Superhero: Spiderman
Favorite Place I’ve Been: Yucatan Peninsula
Writing Must Haves: Coffee and chocolate
Plotter or Pantser: Proud Pantser

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Seeds Of Iniquity by J.A. Redmerski- In Company Of Killers Series- Book 4

Posted on 10/01/2014 by shellbellereads

Seeds of Iniquity

Book #4

In the Company of Killers

Adult Crime/Suspense/Mystery

Released October 1, 2014

Victor Faust’s new Order is growing. Business is good as there is no rest for the wicked in an underground world of hardcore criminals and contract killing. Relationships among the operatives have changed little over the past year—but things are about to change now, and all six high-ranking members of the new Order will be blindsided by an unlikely enemy.

Loved ones whose only ties to Victor’s organization are their relationships with its members, are abducted. The price to get them back safely—the six must confess their deepest, darkest secret to this mysterious young woman named Nora, who is as deadly as she is beautiful, and who seems to know more about each of them than they know about each other. And although no one has any clue about who Nora really is, it becomes clear that she also isn’t who she appears to be.

So much more is at stake than secrets and the lives of innocent loved ones; with each member that Nora forces to confess, the truth about their dark pasts and their present objectives will cast suspicion, pit some against each other, and may tear others apart.

Before the game is over everyone will know who this woman is and why she is here, but the damage she will leave in her wake could be the beginning of the new Order’s destruction.

Whose dark secret will be the darkest of all? And can Victor’s Order survive any of them?

IMPORTANT NOTE: SEEDS OF INIQUITY is NOT a prequel about Fredrik Gustavsson as previously stated. It is a brand new present day book.

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Excerpt

Something inside of me snaps, and my eyes spring open wildly in my face. I scream out something I can’t even decipher and finally get my fingers between the chain and my throat. I pull it away with everything in me, spurred on by rage and vengeance and the will to live, until I overpower her and set my neck free, slamming her legs down against the floor.

She starts to crawl away on her hands and knees in the direction of my overturned chair. I leap to my feet, pulling Pearl from my boot before I’m fully upright, and I’m standing over her with the blade against her throat and the back of her hair in my fist, pulling her neck back as far as it’ll go without snapping.

“I’ll cut off more than your finger, bitch!”

She freezes; her hips and pelvis and legs pressed against the floor; the whites of her eyes visible to me as I stand over her from behind.

“Where is Dina?!” I yank on her scalp, pulling her neck back even farther; if she even flinches the wrong way the blade will break the skin and she knows it. “Fuck these games of yours! Tell me where you took her!”

“Come closer and I’ll tell you,” she says with difficulty, her voice strained.

Without even thinking about it I do, but I keep the blade against her throat as I sit down on her back.

“Try anything and I’ll kill you,” I growl, my lips next to her ear.

She doesn’t try to fight back, but I’m not feeling defeat from her. It’s something else. That confidence about her that I’ve grown to despise. Even though I’m the one sitting on top of her, the one with the knife pressed to her throat, I can’t help feel like she’s still the one in control.

“Where is she?” I whisper harshly against the side of her face.

“If you want Dina Gregory to live,” she says, still in a whisper too low for the audio to pick up, “then you and I need to have a talk about the specifics of the relationship you had with Javier Ruiz.”

It feels like an eternity that I sit on top of her, straddling her back, lost in some kind of stunned submission. I can’t find words. Or my heartbeat. And my mind is running away from me.

Then my knife hand begins to tremble and my breathing becomes unsteady.

I slide the knife away from her throat, push her head down forcibly against the tile with the other hand, shoving myself angrily to my feet and off of her. I don’t look at her when she gets up, struggling into a stand with her ankles bound. And I look only at the floor when she shuffles right past me, picking up her black heels along the way, and goes back over to her seat on the other side of the table.

I keep my back to her, unable to move; my eyes beginning to burn from the angry tears pushing their way to the surface. My knife is gripped within my hand firmly, resting down at my side. I feel like using it on myself.

“Shall we begin?” Nora says as calmly as ever, waiting for me at the table.

In The Company Of Killers Series

Killing Sarai

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The first book in the series, KILLING SARAI, will be on sale for a limited time for $1.99 (Kindle and Nook) starting October 1st.

Reviving Izabel

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The Swan and the Jackal

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GIVEAWAY

The author is giving away (3) Signed Sets of the In the Company of Killers Series! If you would like to enter, please visit AToMR’s Facebook page.

About the Author

J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

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Release Day Blitz- Close To The Fire by Suzanne Ferrell- The Westen Series – Book 3

Posted on 09/29/2014 by shellbellereads

Close To The Fire

The Westen Series- Book 3

By Suzanne Ferrell

Synopsis

They once were lovers:

After ten years of keeping his distance to the one woman he’s always loved, Fire Chief Deke Reynolds is finally ready to set aside his grief and confess his guilt to Elizabeth “Libby” Wilson about his part in her brother’s death. Libby’s own guilty secret has kept her from sharing her life with the man who stole her heart as a teen and awakened her body as a young woman.

Danger has forced them together again:

A fire and their odd connection to a new teenager at the local half-way house have this couple finally sharing their secrets with each other. With an arsonist on the loose, threatening the town of Westen and its citizens, have Libby and Deke waited too long to find their love again?

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The Westen Series

Close To Home- Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Westen, Ohio, where small town romance meets an edge of suspense…

“Welcome to Westen. I’m Lorna Doone. Yep, spelled just like the cookie and just as sweet. I own the Peaches ‘N Cream Café, the center of all social get-togethers and gossip here in our small town. You might think nothing much happens in a small mid-western town, but as my friend Harriett says, things aren’t always what they appear. Romance and suspense can happen almost anywhere and to anyone. Take our girl Emma for example…”

Emma Lewis has a lot on her plate. As a single mother trying to raise two precocious twin boys, she works two jobs to make ends meet while also caring for an aging mother who is having trouble getting through each day. Having faced one scandal nearly seven years ago, the last thing Emma needs is adventure, romance or a man in her life, especially a wickedly sexy doctor. Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt.

So when the small town’s only doctor goes on vacation and his handsome nephew takes over, Emma is shocked to not only find the man she once had a teenage crush on standing in her bedroom, but suddenly he’s accusing her of being a neglectful parent. Despite what the arrogant man may think, she’ll do anything to protect her sons, even from his so-called good intentions.

Doctor Clint Preston came to his small town home of Westen for the year to fill in as the town doc while his uncle took a long needed vacation. Burned out by long shifts in an urban hospital’s ER and the tragic loss of a boy who was the victim of neglect, Clint also needs a sense of peace and calm to try to find his passion for his medical career once more.

In his first week back in town, he’s angered to find two boys in his clinic with broken wrists and no accompanying parent, he is determined to confront their mother to prevent further injuries to his young patients. However, the feisty redhead he meets quickly dispels his belief that she’s a neglectful mother. Despite her bravado and stubbornness, Clint can see her situation is more critical than she wishes to face. Before he can think better of it, he finds himself volunteering to help care for her sons, face the devastating news about her mother’s health and oversee the remodeling of her home.

Slowly, Emma and Clint give into their mutual attraction and begin to build a relationship with the help of the slightly off-beat characters that inhabit Westen. Then a menace from Emma’s past terrorizes her and the life she’s forged with her sons. When a murder for hire scheme threatens Emma’s life, Clint realizes how much she and her family have come to mean to him. He will do anything to protect them.

Can Clint and Emma come together to prevent losing either or both of her sons? Can their new found love survive the danger threatening them all?

Close To The Edge- Book 2- Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Westen Series #2, where small-town romance meets an edge of suspense.

After facing death as an undercover narcotics cop, Gage Justice has come home to heal. His recuperation is cut short by his father’s unexpected diagnosis of cancer and subsequent death. Now he’s honoring one of his father’s last wishes by taking over as the sheriff of his boyhood home, Westen, Ohio. Biding time until his father’s term is finished, he fights boredom more than crime in the sleepy little town—that is until one sexy little teacher-turned-Private-Investigator literally falls into his arms.

Bobby Roberts is looking for adventure. After giving up her own dreams to raise her two sisters after the death of their parents, she’s been trapped in a schoolroom for nearly two decades. The suffocating claustrophobia of the classroom has set her on a new career path. She arrives in Westen, complete with brand-spanking-new PI license, a handgun and a simple case—investigate a lien on property of a dead man.

Little does she realize her “simple little case” will lead her into the world of one sexy sheriff and the path of a murderer intent on keeping them both from discovering his secrets or stopping his plans that could destroy Westen.

Author Bio:

Suzanne discovered romance novels in her aunt’s hidden stash one summer as a teenager. From that moment on she knew two things: she loved romance stories and someday she’d be writing her own. Her love for romances has only grown over the years. It took her a number of years and a secondary career as a nurse to finally start writing her own stories. Suzanne’s sexy stories, whether they be her on the edge of your seat romantic suspense or the small town romantic suspense stories they’ll keep you thinking about her characters long after their Happy Ever After is achieved.

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Cover Reveal: Here With Me by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted on 09/26/2014 by shellbellereads

Today we are revealing the cover of the novel HERE WITH ME by New York Times Bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin. The book will be released on Thursday, October 23rd.

Synopsis for HERE WITH ME:

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

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

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18948703-here-with-me

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AUTHOR INFORMATION

BIO:

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

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

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

Author Links:
Website: http://heidimclaughlin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeidiMcLaughlinAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiJoVT
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6568302.Heidi_McLaughlin

ARC Review: Girl of Vengeance by Charles Sheehan-Miles- Rachel’s Peril Series- Book 3

Posted on 09/23/2014 by shellbellereads

Girl of Vengeance

Rachel’s Peril Series- Book 3

By Charles Sheehan-Miles

Synopsis

In the third and final book of the Rachel’s Peril trilogy, prepare to have everything you thought you knew turned upside down. In the first seven days of this trilogy, everything changed. Now Andrea and Dylan are on the run and the Thompson Sisters are fighting to understand what has happened to their world.

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Michel’s Review

Charles Sheehan-Miles is one of the most talented authors I have had the pleasure to read. His writing is brilliant. He delivers a book that has all the elements readers want in a book. His books are very well plotted with sub plots that merge into the master plot. These sub plots give the book more depth and add to the pacing of the book. He adds suspense, intrigue, high octane action, and emotional characters. His characters are complex people with multiple layers to their personalities. Charles adds the emotional elements that bring these characters and their stories to life. Most importantly he shows the high value of love and the importance of family.

The Rachel Peril series has been a phenomenal series from the beginning. The Thompson sisters and their families are the main characters in this series. Each sister has her own story, her own dilemmas and life issues. The sisters are brought together through baby Rachel, who’s health is failing. What starts as finding a marrow donor for baby Rachel turns into a life threatening situation for all the Thompson sisters. Someone is out to destroy the Thompson family and end their lives. As the danger escalates and each sister escapes death by the skin of their teeth, the mystery seems to get deeper and deeper. Who would want to kill them?

As the story unfolds, deep hidden family secrets will surface. As the secrets begin to unravel the element of danger escalates. Multiple villains will get into the action. There will be several players after this family for very different reasons that stem from one hideous moment in Richard Thompson’s career.

The Rachel’s Peril series has many key players that are centered around Richard Thompson’s earlier career in the CIA. There will be several government agencies investigating the Thompson family. The will be several government agencies, national and international that will be trying to protect their secrets. Richard Thompson will do anything to protect his career and secrets, even at the cost of his own family.

This series kept me engaged. Between the suspense and intrigue, my mind was spinning. As the Thompson family secrets are revealed, my heart was breaking. Each time the Thompson women fought back, I was celebrating their strength. My heart broke for these women as the sins of the past finally come to the surface. But what impressed me the most about this series is the dedication, love, and strength the Thompson sisters possessed. Family meant everything and they leaned on each other to survive.

I highly recommend the Rachel’s Peril series. It will not disappoint.

The Rachel’s Peril Series

Girl of Lies- Book 1

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Girl of Rage- Book 2

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Author Bio:

Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive, and is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America’s Future. Charles and his partner Andrea Randall live and write together in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

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Release Day Blitz: Chains by Kelli Maine- MMA Fighter Romantic Suspense

Posted on 09/22/2014 by shellbellereads

Chains

An MMA Romantic Suspense

By Kelli Maine

Synopsis

Chained To The Past.

Chained To Regret.

No matter how much time has passed, Danielle Debasco weighs on Ty’s mind and conscience. He was supposed to save her, instead he abandoned her.

Chained To Love.

-ADULT CONTENT-
Sex, Language, Violence

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Excerpt

We pushed through the crowd and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Her hand squeezed my ass. I reached over and tweaked her nipple, hard through her tight, stretchy shirt.

“That’s enough,” I said, hauling her to her feet.

“What’s wrong?” She stumbled in her heels, and I held her up.

“Nothing. It was perfect. I’m just　 not into it tonight.”

She looked disappointed. And pissed. “Yeah. Well. Whatever. No big deal. Your dick’s not that big anyway.” It was a lie. We both knew it.

When I got to the door to the party, this one chick wouldn’t move to let me by. “Hey,” I said. “Excuse me. I need by you.”

She turned and locked her bloodshot blue eyes on me.

Time froze as we stared at each other.

Her blond hair was dull, her complexion sallow, her body too thin. Drugs. I’d know their effects anywhere.

“Danny,” I said, catching her by the elbows. “Do you know who I am?”

Her eyes trailed over my face. Jesus, she was rocked out of her mind. Her pupils were dilated and sweat dripped down her neck between her small breasts into her low-cut shirt.

“Danielle,” I said, leaning closer. “It’s me—Tyler.”

“Tyler,” she said, and threw her arms around my neck.

Guilt crushed against my sternum. I left her, and look what she became. “Let’s get out of here.” I turned her around and steered her down the sidewalk.

Author Bio:

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Cover Reveal: Hart Attack by Cristin Harber- A Titan Novel – Book 5

Posted on 09/12/2014 by shellbellereads

We are so thrilled to share the cover of HART ATTACK with everyone today! HART ATTACK releases this November and Roman’s story is one you won’t want to miss!

About HART ATTACK

Outside of Titan Group, there are few people that Roman Hart would die for. He’s a soldier, a protector, and he’s haunted that one of the people he should’ve been able to protect didn’t let him. That was years ago, and now a hardened heart and a cocky attitude are his impenetrable shields, until one woman—one challenge—drives him to distraction.

On the outside, Beth Tourne has it all. Luxury car, gorgeous condo, and a job partying with the rich and famous. It’s a plush CIA cover, but she wants more. Anything for an adrenaline rush that can override her guilty numbness and let her forget the tragedy she never saw coming.

Their scars make them perfect operatives. Their mirrored pasts give them deep, wounded reasons to stay alone. But the more they ignore the tension, the more vulnerable they become. Survival means trust. In one another, behind closed doors, and on the job. The only way they’re making it out alive is if they find peace while waging a war.

Add HART ATTACK to your Goodreads list here!

If you haven’t read SWEET GIRL by Cristin Harber, the new adult prequel to GARRISON’S CREED, you can grab it from iBooks HERE for free for a limited time! Sale price is also available on Amazon, B&N and Kobo!

EXCERPT

Beth parked in the driveway of his nice house on a huge piece of property. After a quick knock on the door, it opened. Roman was bruised and battered and shirtless, and the box of feelings that she had just shelved came screaming open. Whatever his agenda was, the shirtless hello wasn’t fair.

“No, no, no.” She closed her eyes and pointed blindly. “Turn around, get dressed, and we can try this again.”

She stood her ground and wouldn’t cross the threshold. There was no possible way to remain detached when a wall of perfectly sculpted muscle stood a few feet away.

“Roman.” She shook her head. “I’m not a booty call, go find a shirt.”

ABOUT CRISTIN HARBER

Cristin Harber is a USA Today bestselling romantic suspense and military romance author. Fans voted her onto Amazon’s Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was #1 romantic suspense, #1 military romance, and a USA Today Top 100 bestseller.

She lives outside Washington, DC with her family and English Bulldog.

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Tag Archives: Romantic Suspense

Review: The Remedy For Love by Bill Roorbach

Cover Reveal: Pull by Claire Wallis- Sequel to Push-Push 6 Star Review + 2014 Favorite

Release Day Blitz + Review + Giveaway: Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

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Review: Chains by Kelli Maine

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Seeds Of Iniquity by J.A. Redmerski- In Company Of Killers Series- Book 4

Release Day Blitz- Close To The Fire by Suzanne Ferrell- The Westen Series – Book 3

Cover Reveal: Here With Me by Heidi McLaughlin

Today we are revealing the cover of the novel HERE WITH ME by New York Times Bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin. The book will be released on Thursday, October 23rd.

Synopsis for HERE WITH ME:

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18948703-here-with-me

AUTHOR INFORMATION

ARC Review: Girl of Vengeance by Charles Sheehan-Miles- Rachel’s Peril Series- Book 3

Release Day Blitz: Chains by Kelli Maine- MMA Fighter Romantic Suspense

Cover Reveal: Hart Attack by Cristin Harber- A Titan Novel – Book 5

We are so thrilled to share the cover of HART ATTACK with everyone today! HART ATTACK releases this November and Roman’s story is one you won’t want to miss!

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Today we are revealing the cover of the novel HERE WITH ME by New York Times Bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin. The book will be released on Thursday, October 23rd.

Synopsis for HERE WITH ME:

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18948703-here-with-me

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Share this:

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We are so thrilled to share the cover of HART ATTACK with everyone today! HART ATTACK releases this November and Roman’s story is one you won’t want to miss!

Share this:

Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Kobo IndieBound

Website Twitter Facebook Novel Goodreads Author Goodreads YouTube Pinterest Instagram**