Saturday, 30 April 2016

Release Day Blitz & Review ~ The Heart (Reluctant Romantics #2) by Kate Stewart


The Heart is LIVE!!! This is the stunning conclusion to Rose's story. 


Book Description:

Jack 

For the last ten years, I've roamed the globe, captivated by the world around me. I've seen the seven wonders and admired sunsets from every continent. I'd lived and loved and that was enough for me. It would have to be. 

I was content, satisfied with my collection of experiences . . . until a phone call led me down a road less traveled.

If I'd known my fascination would pique and be forever quenched only a few hundred miles from where my curiosity had been born, I may have never set sail.

Rose 

Stripped of the future I'd planned with the love of my life, my family and my career were now all that mattered. I'd lived and loved and that was enough. It would have to be. 

I struggled to move forward, to discard the part of me that held out hope for my obliterated heart. But I was bred a romantic, so it was easier said than done.

The chances of being struck by lightning are 1 in 960,000.

The odds of being struck twice are 1 in 9 million.

I risked those odds every minute, often cursing the dark sky, praying for static and a rumble of thunder, but it never came.

No, that second bolt hit me on a clear day.

The Heart can be read as a stand alone but it is HIGHLY recommended you read the first two books in the series first. 

The Reluctant Romantics Series

The Fall

The Mind 1.5

The Heart 

Books that compliment the series (Room 212, Never Me.)

Explicit Sex and Strong Language



Buy Links:


Other Books in Series:

The Fall (Book 1)



The Mind (Book 1.5)




Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***



“You’re afraid you’ll love me less.”
“No…I’m afraid I’ll love you more.”


Kate Stewart is fast becoming the author who has the knack of obliterating my heart and then slowly piecing it back together. Once again I had streams of tears, some happy, some sad as she perfectly captured the love story of a couple who thought that their propensity to love another had been cruelly stripped away. Both Jack and Rose had loved and lost, both had thought that their once in a lifetime love had gone and for them there was no other, but this book perfectly captured the essence of lightning can indeed strike twice and for Jack and Rose it struck hard… would they believe in it though?


“…I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m jealous of a dead man.”


I desperately wanted Rose to find love again, but after The Mind I was seriously worried that Kate Stewart wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. After delivering a love story so epic in The Mind would my heart let in another and take Grants place? Could I believe? I needn’t have feared, Jack Sawyer deserves his own place, he owned it, he earned it and he couldn’t have been a more perfect partner for Rose. Sometimes you are truly lucky to find that once in a lifetime love twice, maybe, just maybe that first love was always intended to be short for a reason but none the less, its lasting effects would be felt forever. While at the time it feels like your heart has been decimated you know that you have found that extra special someone if they have the power to start cementing over the cracks and piece you back together fragment by miniscule fragment. Jack Sawyer was that special someone and this was such a beautiful story that I couldn’t tear myself away. I wanted these two to believe and I wanted their love to win, it was never going to be easy but for me the rewards far outweighed the risks.


“After years of begging my heart, it finally stopped beating.”


We have seen Rose in The Fall and of course The Mind so we all know that she lost Grant, her one true love. Rose had never been the same since and had thrown herself into her work as a doctor and getting the cancer centre up and running that she was opening with her sister. Her work was her focus, her work and her morning mantra’s are what got her up every morning, her aspirations are what kept her going as were her memories of Grant. No man had ever caught her attention since Grant, her man radar was well and truly turned off and she had no inclination to even put herself out there again, but sometimes fate has other ideas.


“If the Kardashians can live with the size of their asses and profit from it, you can get out of bed, Rose.”


Jack had been a friend of Rose’s father for years and when his help is required to finish the cancer centre Jack jumps at the chance to help a friend out. Jack used to be suited and booted and a power player in the business world until life threw him a curveball. Stripping himself of Mr Business he threw himself into travelling the world and making good use of his hands and this is how he meets Rose’s dad, Seth. Seth takes him under his wings and between them a fantastic working relationship was born. Jack had had his heart broken and at thirty-seven had given up on finding love again, until he bumps into Rose, a fiery red head that on first meet had captured his every thought since.


“I wanted a new kind of home. I wanted to belong, but I wanted to belong to her. She was that home, she had the heart I needed, and I wanted in.”


The Heart is a perfect title for this story. This is all about The Heart, about the power it wields over us and its ability to heal. The heart wants what the heart wants but what happens when the heart can’t have? Kate Stewart delivered a perfect story as she consummately captured those push and pull of emotions from past to present. The hearts pull to Grant, her past and that present push that she feels towards Jack. Her inner turmoil and that fear of guilt to Grant’s memory while still having guilt over not giving herself completely to Jack, a man that sincerely deserved it. Coming to terms with grief and its ability to debilitate until you finally find the inner strength to move on while never forgetting. Just because someone is no longer on this earth, you can still love them, they will always be there in your heart, they will always have that piece of you, but also coming to terms that your heart still beats and it is more than okay if it beats for another.


“Love doesn’t have to hurt to be real. You reminded me of that.”


Neither love took away from the other, neither love overshadowed the other. Grants love was Grants love, Jacks was totally different and Kate Stewart never lessened one or the other. Rose was truly blessed to have found love twice and I was truly blessed to have read about it. Another fantastic read from Kate Stewart.


“I want your breaths, your minutes, your movements, and to be included in your memories. I want to be the man you run to. I want to be significant. I want you. It’s that simple.”


About the Author:


A native of Dallas, Kate Stewart now resides in beautiful Charleston, S.C. She lives with her husband of 9 years, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. 

Kate moved to Charleston three weeks after her first visit, dropping her career of 8 years, and declaring the city her creative muse. Since the move in 2010, Kate has written and published four novels including Room 212, Never Me, Loving the White Liar and The Fall. 

Kate writes messy, sexy, angst filled romance books with 'hard to get' happy endings because it's what she loves as a reader. She has a scary addiction to chocolate milk and a deep love for rap music specifically the genius known as Marshall Mathers.

In addition to her addiction to romance, Kate also lets her alter ego take over on occasion and writes erotic suspense under the pen Angelica Chase.


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Friday, 29 April 2016

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway ~ The Player and the Pixie (Rugby #2) by LH Cosway & Penny Reid


Book Description:

How can someone so smokin’ hot be so bad in bed? I mean, Sean Cassidy is absolute rubbish. RUBBISH. He is the epitome of walking, talking false advertising and I want a refund! Plus he’s an arsehole. So… what is wrong with me that I can’t stop thinking about him?

The Pixie and the Player is a full-length, romantic comedy novel, can be read as a standalone, and is the second book in the Rugby Series.

THE PIXIE
Lucy Fitzpatrick doesn’t like rugby.

As the little sister of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, Lucy can’t seem to escape the championship-sized shadow cast by her big brother, or her mother’s frequent attempts to micromanage her future. Her rainbow hair is as free-spirited as her quest for inner peace, yet overbearing expectations keep bringing her down. And when she’s down, her compulsive little problem lands her in seriously big trouble.

THE PLAYER
Sean Cassidy is a cold-hearted brute… or so he’s been told. Frequently. By everyone.

His blonde locks, baby blues, and rock hard bod make ladies the world over drool with desire. As the rugby world’s second most infamousplayer, he should be basking in his success. But Sean has never been content settling for second place, and his frequent confrontations with Lucy’s big brother leave him cold. And when he’s cold, his compulsive little problem lands him in the lap of Lucy Fitzpatrick.

THE PLAN
Sean has a problem only Lucy can solve. Lucy has a problem only Sean can fix. The solution seems obvious: you scratch my back, and I’ll bail you out of jail. But when their business arrangement unexpectedly leaves Sean scorching hot and Lucy on the precipice of inner peace, can they convince the world—and Lucy’s big brother in particular—that this is the real deal?

Either way, both the Player and the Pixie are about to teach each other some pretty monumental lessons about family, life, but most importantly, love.


Buy Links:



Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***


“Sean + Lucy = Spectacular”


I have to admit, this is the first time I have read these two authors together, I have The Hooker and the Hermit downloaded but I just haven’t seemed to have picked it up yet, but after reading this, I will be.


“But most importantly, deep down, I didn’t think he liked himself very much. It made me sad. It also made me want to make him happy.”


For me, Sean made this book. He was a strapping Irish rugby player that was a huge man mountain and had biceps that could shut out the sun. On the outside and the persona that he portrayed to everyone, he was an arrogant ass, cocky, argumentative and just generally a thorn in everyone’s side. He couldn’t help it though, it was his defence mechanism and so far, he thought it had worked well for him. Never mind the fact that no one could stand to be in his company, they just put up with him for the sake of the team.


“You are sad and lonely and lost, though you’ll never admit it. Instead you pick fights, desperate to feel something.”


Sean has abandonment issues and a huge inferiority complex, he didn’t have the perfect childhood and was brought up by his Aunt and Uncle. He only ever became something to them when it became obvious he had raw talent for rugby. Finally seeing a plus side to having taken him in they nurtured the rugby player within him, but his people skills leave a lot to be desired, as do his bedroom skills too. This was where this book was so refreshing…. finally, we have a man that has no idea about sex, foreplay or anything to do with the female anatomy. Sean was decidedly lacking in bedroom skills and he knew it, it also didn’t help that he was always a little premature ;-) but, what this man lacked in expertise when it came to bumping uglies he made up for with a willingness to learn, especially when he had met his match in Lucy. Lucy was Sean’s “warmth” and these two were in for a tumultuous ride bearing in mind that Lucy’s brother was Sean’s arch nemesis…oh the fun.


“His hand was on my vagina, but he was just rubbing away with no rhythm or technique. He might as well have been trying to get a persistent stain off the carpet.”


Lucy was a beautiful character on the inside and out. She was a free spirit whose personality was reflected in the colour of her hair and the clothes that she wore. She was a giver and a pleaser but she had her own insecurities and issues that really needed to be addressed but she plodded through life taking her mother’s condescension in her stride. Her brother was her biggest ally and support along with her best friend Broderick and she would do anything for them, even if that meant trying to ignore the lust and yearning that she had for Sean. Sean’s magnetism is too much and so herein starts an illicit love story that will melt the toughest of hearts.


“Let me feel your warmth.”


Sean, Sean, Sean…man I wanted to hug this guy. I wanted to pat and rub his back and go “there, there, there” it will all be okay. He was adorable once you got past his façade. He may have been a big guy but underneath he was softie that just wanted to be accepted, be loved and most importantly wanted to make a woman get her “big O” something that had always eluded him. Lucy was a fantastic teacher, she gave Sean confidence and it wasn’t long before he was a master, she put him through his paces and our big guy delivered.


“I groaned against her delicious suppleness. Because she was coming again. And it was perfect.”


I loved these two together, the most unlikeliest of couples, yet together they worked. Neither had loved before so this was all new to both of them and with the added pressures of family’s opinions this was going to be a hard one to pull off, but the course of true love never runs smooth and this would be the biggest test of their relationship.


“Oh Sean, my love, with you and me, there’s going to be a lifetime of lessons.”


I loved this book, the dialogue and banter were on point, the tweets had me in stitches and their personalities shone through the pages. LH Cosway and Penny Reid really delivered a fun and flirty read that had me laughing hard and swooning even harder. I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t want it to end. I could have read about this couple forever. I cannot wait to read more from these two authors, now the duck has been broken, I’m on it.


About the Authors:

L.H. Cosway

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.




Penny Reid

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).

By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.



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Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway ~ Hook (Duplicity Duet #1) by Elisabeth Grace


Book Description:

Women loathed me without even knowing my name. 

Men coveted the very idea of me.

Escort. Call girl. Prostitute. Hooker. Whore.

I'd heard it all. Done it all.

Over the years I'd felt a lot of things about my occupation...but not regret--never regret. I had my reasons for doing what I did and nothing and no one had ever made me question them.

UNTIL MARCO VALENTI.

He'd changed me and I'd naively fed into the fairy tale.

But Marco wasn't my Prince Charming.

He had secrets of his own.

Secrets that would eventually rip away everything I held dear.


Buy Links:



Excerpt:

Marco leaned into me, his breath fanning across my face, causing goosebumps to race across my skin. “You’re very stubborn for someone who’s paid to provide me pleasure. É una fortuna che mi piacciono le sfide.”
“What was that?” I asked softly.
“Good thing I enjoy a challenge,” he replied without blinking.
I cleared my throat, uncomfortable with the level of attention he was giving me. “Why don't we get on with what I'm here for,” I suggested in a sultry voice.
His eyes narrowed. “As you wish. Your madam says you are like a...” He looked off toward the ceiling. “The animal that changes color.”
“A chameleon?”
“That is the one.” He smiled widely, showcasing a dimple in his left cheek, made more pronounced by the dark stubble on his jaw. As sudden as the ferocity had flared up inside of him, it quickly disappeared.
“It's true. I can be whatever you want,” I replied in a seductive voice. I closed the distance between us, placing my hand on his chest. He flinched at the contact like I'd scorched him. Not a lot, but enough that I noticed.
Looking up into the depths of his dark eyes, I said, “Why don't you tell me what you're looking for, and then we can discuss any extras in my payment.”
The smile dropped from his face and he reached for my wrist, pulling my hand from his chest. “What I want from you will be very different than most men.”
My eyes widened and I sucked in a breath. This ought to be interesting. I'd had all manner of things proposed to me before, but the fact that Marco felt the need to warn me set off alarm bells ringing in my head.
“And what is it you want from me, Mr. Valenti?” I whispered.
“Call me Marco.”
“Alright, Marco.”
He traced his thumb along my hairline and stared down at me, intensity pouring out of his gaze like a waterfall. My breathing hitched, and I found myself wanting to lean into his caress to further close the distance between us.
Then the hum of his cell phone vibrating from his pocket broke our connection. He reached into his pocket, glanced briefly at the screen, and stepped back to take the call.
“As always, your timing is impeccable.” The corners of his mouth dipped, and I had the distinct impression that he wasn’t pleased with whoever was on the other end of the line.
Marco listened for a moment while staring out the wall of glass down to the strip below. His hand holding the phone flexed around it for a second at something the other person had said.
“Give me five minutes,” he bit out.
Another pause.
“Well, if you want it to happen tonight, you have no choice but to wait.” Without a goodbye, he ended the call and placed the phone back into the breast pocket of his suit jacket.
With his hands on his hips, he remained facing the window for a moment, drawing in deep breaths of air.
“I must go.”
Not what I was expecting to hear. “Okay...”
He turned and stalked forward until only mere inches separated the two of us. His large hand came to rest at the swell of my hip before he leisurely dragged it across my waist and brushed the side of my breast with his palm. My nipples tightened inside my lace bra.
Marco dropped his hand and leaned into me. My heart picked up pace inside my chest as I waited for his lips to touch mine. He stood solid and still before me while I waited, my anticipation like a live wire setting every nerve ending in my body on fire.
Just when I thought he’d close those final few inches, he brought his face alongside mine and his low voice sounded in my ear, “I’ll get you your money.”
His words were like a bucket of cold water, and I stepped back as if he’d slapped me. It pissed me off that he’d left me wanting.
He stalked back over to the bar and returned a moment later with an envelope. I eyed the cash inside before placing it in my purse. It seemed ridiculous to me that I’d be paid for having a conversation in the man’s room for such a short time, but I wasn’t about to argue with him about it.
“It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Valenti.” I made sure to use his last name since he’d asked me not to. I had a tendency to lash out when I was upset.
An amused grin formed on his face, but he said nothing. I strutted around him to the suite door.
As I unlocked the dead bolt then slid the chain across, Marco’s hand landed on my ass, skimming over it a few times before his other hand pulled my hair to the side to expose my neck.
I hadn’t even heard him come up behind me.
He pressed a kiss to the base of my neck and I shuddered, shivers racing up my spine. I felt his smile against my skin before he removed his lips and stepped away.
Without a backward glance, I turned the door handle and left the suite.
The warm feeling that had invaded my chest remained, but my stomach fell into a nauseous churning. Somehow my body knew what I didn't already. Marco Valenti would be the springboard in my life that caused everything to change.

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***


“Even the angel has a devil that sits on his shoulder.”


I am officially Hooked!! This is the first book in a duet so is not a complete story and at the end all I needed was the rest. This is more like a romantic suspense and to be honest I am still not sure about who to trust. Elisabeth Grace perfectly wove suspense throughout this real life Pretty Woman story…or is it?


“Careful how far out you wade…these are shark infested waters.”


Emily a.k.a. Brandi to her clients is a high end escort. For Emily this is a means of survival for her and her son. Her son has muscular dystrophy and needs a lot of medical care and various therapies and being a single mum, on her own in a brand new city she did the only she could to provide whatever her son needed. Emily was a fantastic mother and while the way she earned her money was not the best it was what needed to be done and I admired her for it. Between working nights and home schooling all day, all her time was taken doing what was right for her son and her own happiness was way down on her radar.

Marco Valenti was an enigmatic Italian that barged into Emily’s life. Having hired her for a night it was obvious that one night was never going to be enough. For Marco it was love at first sight and being the Italian stallion that he was, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. However, I am still undecided on Marco, while on the outside he seems perfect, he seems too good to be true. Maybe he really is, but for a man we hardly know anything about and a man who keeps his cards very close to his chest I am a bit reticent to believe everything I am reading, especially given the situation that these two find themselves in.


“The opportunity to be evil – greedy, stubborn, egotistical, narcissistic – it’s all there. I just chose not to feed that particular beast.”


I will say though, if it is an act, then Marco Valenti should be an Oscar winner, because damn he was good and extremely convincing. His relationship with Emily’s son would melt the hardest of hearts and his affections do feel and sound totally genuine, but it is that tangled web that Elisabeth Grace is weaving that leaves that err of caution. I hope for these two that it is the real thing, but with that synopsis I just don’t know what to think…gahhhh…so frustrating.


“The only woman he’s ever wanted to make happy is his mother… until you.”


Marco was an alpha that whispered Italian sweet nothings that will have your ovaries exploding, he was possessive and dominant but he looked after those he loved, hence the current situation. I just wish I knew more about him so I could determine whether or not “this” is real. I desperately want to believe in it and my heart tells me it is, but my head is a bit savvier and tells me otherwise. It is this “is it” or “isn’t it” that adds to the addictiveness of this read. It is quick but I couldn’t put it down.


“You will curse my name like the devil and then scream it out like a benediction.”


I am erring towards mafia connections but in one of the few times Marco opens up he vehemently denies it, but the suspense side of this story definitely screams mafia to me. Maybe he just made the wrong enemies, in any case he has something that they want and it is something that he does not have to give…intriguing.


“Sometimes there is no answer to the question “why.” Sometimes life just fucks you over for no other reason than it can.”


I seriously need book two, I didn’t want this one to finish and just as everything was ramping up it ended, I was devastated. Elisabeth Grace certainly keeps you on the edge second guessing everything you are reading. Who are the bad guys? What is their connection to Marco? What do they want that Marco won’t give up? Guess I’ll be waiting on tenterhooks, but we don’t have long to wait…the answers will all be revealed in June with the release of Burn…I can’t wait.

Trailer:



About the Author:


USA Today Bestselling author, Elisabeth Grace, has a soft spot for romance novels with happily ever afters and a hot spot for alpha males! She currently lives outside Toronto, Canada with her hubby and two small children. Life is busy, but never to busy for a good story and to share her love of reading and writing with others.


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Blog Tour & Review ~ Evading (Vampire Lords #4) by KL Kreig

Release Day: April 25, 2016
Genre: Paranormal Romance


Book Description:

“Let me obliterate each and every last beast that’s holding that beautiful mind captive, Giselle.” 

It’s no secret Detective Mike Thatcher wasn’t a fan of the blood drinkers. They stole his life, his woman, his future when they kidnapped his college sweetheart. So of course Fate paired him with the one thing he’d spent the past eleven years hating…a vampire. But Giselle isn't just any vampire. She’s seduction, sin, strength and fragility all wrapped into one ice-cold package. 

“That could take a lot of time. I have a lot of demons.” 

Giselle has reasons for her sandpaper exterior, but they’re hers and hers alone. Then along came the one male she never wanted. Her Fated. Mike changed her in ways she didn’t like. He made her soft. He made her care. The gorgeous asshole made her feel, goddammit. And he’s just made it clear the running is over. Letting love in would prove to be the biggest challenge she’d ever faced. 

But as Mike lets the past go, can Giselle do the same? Can she bare her soul? Show her shame? Just as Giselle stops fighting the inevitable, her entire world doesn’t only shift on its axis…it falls the fuck off. 

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A STANDALONE. This is a novella in the Regent Vampire Lords series that picks up on Mike and Giselle's relationship toward the end of Reawakening. To understand their back story, you MUST read the series in order, starting with Surrendering. 

**Contains graphic sexual content and foul language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+


Buy Links:


Our Review:

Reviewed by Shirley ~ 5 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***


This book is a must for all romance readers out there. It is erotic, sexy but empathetic about a female vampire whose early life had been so horrendous that how she came through it all only shows what a strong person she is. This book is about Giselle Petrova and the love she never thought she would ever that was brought into her life by a human, Detective Mike Thatcher.

I have been eagerly looking forward for this book to be written as it tells Giselle’s and Mikes story. They have always been in all previous books and while I read them you felt there was more to them, especially Giselle, in this very erotic but oh so intriguing and thought provoking series.

This book especially, had me crying tears for the horrors it tells but also happy tears for the tenderness shown which brings a lump to your throat. I always thought that something had happened to Giselle for her to become the hardened, sultry woman, whose sarcasm and bitchiness kept everyone at bay. Reading her story, you come to realize that it is no wonder she is what she is. There have only been two vampires who understood her and that was the Vampire, Lord Devon Fallinsworth and his friend and second, Ren. Ren had proved over the decades what a valuable friend he was to her and he treated her like any big brother would.

For over one hundred and forty years her past had been a closed book and that's how Giselle wanted it kept until it brought Mike into her life and turned her world upside down. Mike who has harboured a deep hatred for vampires because of what had happened in his past. We knew a little of why he hated them so much in previous books but in this book it tells you in much more depth and you can understand more this enmity he feels towards the vampires. The bar shifts when the blond, sultry beauty who is Giselle comes into his life and the more he sees her the more he knows he won’t be able to walk away.

Giselle is thrown into a turmoil, this human has started to make her feel and she didn't like it one bit. Going from wary of each other because they each knew that there was something going on between them to spending more time with each other and actually enjoying his company. Mike had given into his feelings for Giselle and was determined to break down the walls she had erected around herself. He was going to prove to her that she is worthy to be loved and as you read he certainly knows what his woman needs and goes all out to prove it to her and when she finally succumbs to his sexy demands their lovemaking goes into orbit and he tells her knowing how scarred she was


"You're mine, and tonight I'm going to prove to you that I'm yours. You can trust me both your body and your heart, Giselle."


and it was then, while spending more time in Mikes company, her sexy human whose body turned her on like no other and whose lovemaking was slowly thawing the ice around her heart she realized that…


Their souls aligned. Fit perfectly. His darkness matched hers, but his goodness brought warmth and radiant light she'd never experienced before. He was the anchor when she floated. He was the solace when she freaked. He was hope illuminating the bleakest parts of her soul. "You're mine," she whispered so softly she didn't think he'd hear.


but he did.

This book is superb. I kept turning the pages and just could not put it down, it hit me in so many places. Ms Kreig you have done a brilliant and sympathetic telling of these two special characters. If I could give it more than five stars I would. Just brilliant.



Buy Links:



About the Author: 

I’m just a regular ol’ Midwest girl who likes Game of Thrones and am obsessed with Modern Family and The Goldbergs. I run, I eat, I run, I eat. It’s a vicious cycle. I love carbs, but there’s love-hate relationship with my ass and thighs. Mostly hate. I like a good cocktail (oh hell…who am I kidding? I love any cocktail). I’m a huge creature of habit, but I’ll tell you I’m flexible. I read every single day and if I don’t get a chance…watch the hell out, I’m a raving bitch. My iPad and me: BFFs. I’m direct and I make no apologies for it. I swear too much. I love alternative music and in my next life I want to be a bad-ass female rocker. I hate, hate, hate spiders, telemarketers, liver, acne, winter and loose hairs that fall down my shirt (don’t ask, it’s a thing). 

AUTHOR LINKS 

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Sale & Giveaway ~ Proceeds going to Autism ~ Razorblade Kisses by RL Griffin


Razorblade Kisses is one of the two books that is at the top of favourite books EVER!! This was a book that I loved with every fibre of my being and it is a book that I read time and time again. It is not an easy book to read, it is hard hitting, but it is real life, it happens and the way the author told this girls story was breathtaking.


Note from the Author:

I wrote a book once about a girl that ripped me apart. I lived and breathed her world for six months and finally felt the grip of fear leave me once it was published. (Sort of)

I wrote a book one time that almost didn’t get finished or published. A book that wore me down and made my emotions rise to the surface of my skin. A book that still means so much to me I cannot read it again. I will not read it again. That book made me look at the world through an entirely unfamiliar lens and changed my perspective.

I wrote a book once that had a ray of light so faint it could hardly be seen. That light for Emery and me was Lucas, a kid with autism, that helped save Emery from despair and from herself. This book is full of hard things and he was one of the most joyous characters I’ve ever written even though he came from such a disastrous beginning.

I wrote a book once that changed me.

In light of the fact it is Autism awareness month I’ve decided to put Razorblade Kisses, that book, on sale for $.99 for the last weekend in April. All royalties I receive from April 29-30 will go to the Autism Society of Georgia, Lucas lived in Georgia. Those royalties will be paid in July of 2016 and I will update everyone with what the results were at that point.

In an effort to help spread the word I’m going to give away a $25.00 amazon gift card on May 1, 2016. All you have to do to enter is share this post and tag me, R.L. Griffin on whatever social media platform you use. Here are my links:



Book Description:

Her name is Emery Shaw...Emily Sanders...Emma Simpson. Her family was well off, she ran. They looked for her, she hid. They found her, she ran again. Tragedy strikes, she gets even. The fact is, she doesn't know who she is, she tried to run, to hide and make a life for herself, but that backfired. No one knows her except her best friend, Rachel, if that's even an adequate word for what they are to each other. Rachel helps her build a life for herself below the radar, which is fine until the unthinkable happens, knocking Em out of her unfeeling cocoon. When her house of cards comes tumbling down she runs again, until the one person who can change her mind finds her. 

**Due to adult situations, language and possible scenarios that may be difficult for some readers to take...take a breath before you start this one. It's gritty and not pretty. Nothing is pretty here. Whiskey is a good thing.**

Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1rnkDrP





Razorblade Kisses Excerpt: 

On that Saturday night, Emery was driving like a bat out of hell to get to the hospital. It was 2:12 am when she received the call and she’d left her house immediately pulling on boots and a sweater she found on the floor of her closet over her pajamas. She was hoping to make it to Savannah General within twenty minutes. The cops had called her because she was Lucas’s DFCS case worker and he’d “been in an accident.” 

“Hi. I’m here for Lucas Lord,” she spat out as she ran into the ER, breathing hard. “Lucas Lord.” Emery showed her DFCS ID. “I’m his caseworker.” 

A male police officer approached her and nodded at her. “I’ll take you back,” the officer said, and his voice made the hairs of her arms stand on end. She dismissed it and followed 

him quickly through the lobby back through the doors and into the ER. 

She didn’t like hospitals, but wanted to make sure Lucas was okay. Emery’s eyes went from room to room, searching for Lucas. 

She saw the little boy lying on a bed to the right and ran past the officer to get to him. He looked younger than eleven and she wanted to hold him. Throwing down her bag and files 

on the floor, she hugged the frail little boy. 

“Lucas, are you okay? You had me driving around like the Flash,” she said, exasperated. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw his jaw and ear. His hands started moving around wildly, signing. He told her he was okay, but that Jerry had pushed him into a book- 

shelf and he’d fallen. 

“That doesn’t look like a fall face,” she said. “That looks like a punch face.” 

He hesitated and his eyes left hers, looking at something behind her. She turned and saw him looking at the cop. 

“Look.” She pointed at her face. “You’re okay. Tell me what happened.” 

His eyes closed and signed that Jerry and his mother were drunk and Lucas kept telling them he needed to eat. It was ten at night and he hadn’t eaten since lunch at school the day 

before. So Jerry punched him in the face just a couple times. It broke her heart that Lucas phrased it as “just a couple times.” Emery stepped to the side and looked away so that Lucas 

wouldn’t see the anguish on her face. She wouldn’t cry in front of this kid who was so strong. She examined the officer’s black uniform shoes. They were shiny, standard issue. Taking 

a breath, she leaned over Lucas. “I’m going to hug you now,” she declared. 

Lucas smiled and nodded at her. She hugged him. He signed for her to sit next to him on the bed. 

“You got it.” She leaned down and pulled off her UGG boots, leaving her Wonder Woman socks on, and crawled in Lucas’s face threatened to break in two with the size of his 

grin when he saw her socks. He pointed at them enthusiastically. She smoothed his hair. 

“Ma’am? Can you tell me what he just told you? We’ve been having a difficult time getting him to talk to us.” 

Emery barely acknowledged the officer. “You would because he doesn’t talk.”


Giveaway:

To win a signed copy of Razorblade Kisses, just share this post on any social media site, tag The Romance Cover, tag RL Griffin and you will be automatically entered.
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Cover Re-Reveal and Sale ~ When We Collide by AL Jackson

AL Jackson has given When We Collide a brand new cover and to celebrate she has put the book on sale for 99c.


Book Description:

From New York Times Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson comes a gripping new tale of loss and love. 

William has spent six years running from his past and the last eight months trying to rid his mind of the dreams that increasingly haunt his nights. Trapped in a world of false ambitions and feigned affections, William knows he’s reached a breaking point and something’s going to give. 

Maggie had lived her entire life without hope until one man showed her what it meant to be loved. He’d been her light in a lifetime of darkness. Six years ago, that darkness stole him away. Without him, she’s surrendered herself to an existence she doesn’t know how to escape. 

When the family William left behind is struck by tragedy, he is called back to the one place he’s sworn to never return to again. In a moment that will change his life forever, William comes face to face with the girl who, with one look, captured his heart. He is unable to ignore the buried desires and the hope for the future they’d once believed they’d have. 

Now William is ready to fight to take back what had been stolen from him six years before. But he never imagined what that fight might cost him. 

A.L. Jackson gives you an intimate look into the lives of a family bound by an unseen connection in this new contemporary romance. 

"There are some love stories that will take you on such intensely emotional journeys, shake you to the very core of your being, make you scream, cry, curse, throw things against walls, but also fill you with more hope than you ever thought possible – THIS is one of those books.This is the second novel by A.L. Jackson that I have read and I am ready to build this woman a shrine." Natasha is a Book Junkie


Buy Links:

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Thursday, 28 April 2016

Release Day Tour, Review & Giveaway ~ Gripped (Prescott #2) by Joanne Schwehm


Book Description:

***STANDALONE NOVEL***

Dane Prescott spends his days staring at perfect holes, and knows how to use his stiff shaft to get there. He’s as hot as he is good at the sport he loves more than breathing.

Dane has one goal and one goal only, to be on the professional golf tour. It’s who he is and what he lives for. Women, although fun, aren't in his long-term plans.

Beverly Whitfield didn’t start off as the confident woman she is today. Teased mercilessly as a child and always feeling second-best, she set out to change her future and is finally putting herself first. Never in her wildest imagination did she think she’d fall for a man with stunning good looks and sex seeping from his pores. And, oh yeah, he plays golf.

To those who say golf is complicated and frustrating, Dane says, “No, that’s love.”

**Intended for readers over the age of 18**

Buy Links:


Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***


“Never have I given my heart to anyone, but it’s yours if you want it.”


Oh Joanne Schwehm delivers another fine male specimen in the shape of Dane Prescott in Gripped. If you thought his brother was swoony in Incumbent, then be prepared to melt again as another Prescott man meets his match.


“Take it from me, don’t ever put this sport before love. Golf will always be there; love might not be.”


This was the book that initially made me seek out this series, I have worked in the golf industry more or less all my working life and it is one sport that doesn’t really make it that often into books. While this is definitely a romance I was hoping for a little more golf tour action but once again their careers are more a back drop with the relationship taking centre stage.

Dane Prescott was definitely a ladies’ man and he loves a “birdie” or two (pardon the pun). His “eagle” eyes quickly found those of Beverly and if Dane was a sailor she would have been his “Albatross”…keep reading I’m throwing them all in… Dane needed to make his “pitch” good to win Beverly over. Beverly made her friends “green” with envy when she caught the attention of Dane at a charity “ball,” especially as she didn’t need to wave a “flag” either, but would Dane be able to make this a “hole in one” or would he only make “nearest the pin?” Would this be a “drive” into the unknown for both of them or do they both still have a “fairway” to go? Will Dane still have his “balls” by the end or will Beverly chew him up like a “pro?” Would Dane be up to “par” or would he need a “mulligan” or two? Sorry, I couldn’t resist. However, while this was all new to both of them Joanne Schwehm really captured the romantic fall of Dane and Beverly and once again I was championing her characters from the beginning.


“…but stretching in golf is like foreplay before sex. You can’t just thrust right into it and not expect a bit of pain. If you’re relaxed and ready to go, it will be much more enjoyable. Trust me…I’m an expert.”


Dane was a young man sowing his wild oats, he was a player on and off the course until he met Beverly at a function. Dane was a man that had always said love wouldn’t happen to him and had constantly made fun of his brother who was well and truly whipped. He was always told that he would know when he had found “the one” and he constantly disregarded it as rubbish…that was before he clapped eyes on Beverly. Golf always had and would come first for Dane. He was on the cusp of getting his tour card and the big times were firmly within his sights. He had his eyes set on success, fame and fortune but sometimes life throws you a curve ball.


“To me, a golf course was like a woman – there were curves, plateaus and holes, each needing the proper navigation.  Being unprepared could lead to a dreadful day.”


Beverly made this book for me. She had worked hard to get where she was today. Having been victim to bullies for most of her childhood with the nickname Heavy Beverly she had shed the weight, she eats well, trains hard and has a figure to die for, much to the chagrin of the bullies. Beverly was all woman and while she still had her insecurities underneath she knew when she wanted to she could compete with the best of them. Beverly resented golf, the sport had taken her parents away from her as she was left to fend for herself while they lorded it up on the fairways. Money in this instance could not buy happiness and all Beverly really wanted was some attention. Her parents loved her though and while sometimes you felt that their priorities were wrong, they would have done anything for her.


“The man was a walking orgasm waiting to happen, and since I was overdue for one…”


This book was a fun, flirty read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved that Beverly didn’t fall at Dane’s feet, she makes him work for it. From the very beginning I loved both these characters and was with them all the way as love hits them when they least expected it. I cannot wait to read more from the Prescott family.

Facebook Event: 

April 28 | ALL DAY | INVITE FRIENDS | COME PARTY | JOIN JOANNE'S BOOK JUNKIES FOR THE PARTY


Facebook Group for Gripped: 


Have you entered the Goodreads Giveaway for a Signed PB of Gripped: 
*✿༻ GOODREADS GIVEAWAY ༺✿Head over to Goodreads to enter for the chance to win a SIGNED Paperback of Gripped by Joanne Schwehm! Giveaway runs up to May 6th, ENTER NOW!!! #Goodreads #Giveaway #SignedPaperback #Win

Giveaway Link: 

About the Author:

Family and friends are the most important things to Joanne. She enjoys meeting new people, traveling, reading, relaxing on a beach and shopping. She has an addiction to Coffee and Diet Coke; you may want to stand clear if she hasn't had her daily intake!

Writing has been something that has been private and not shared until the day she decided to publish Unexpected Chance. Waking up one morning to the voices of Alex Logan and Aubrey Ryan changed everything!!

She is an avid sports fan especially when it comes to the New York Yankees & Dallas Cowboys. She also enjoys playing and watching golf.

She firmly believes when that unexpected chance comes, take it. Don't let it pass you by. You never know what you could be missing.

Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSchwehmBooks | @JSchwehmBooks
Amazon Author Page: http://goo.gl/QTiMZn
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