Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from Sourcebooks Casablanca

Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from Sourcebooks Casablanca

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NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

Sourcebooks Casablance is graciously offering a NINE (9) book prize pack for today’s Anniversary Celebration Giveaway

ONE (1) commenter will receive all NINE (9)  paper books from Sourcebooks Casablanca

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1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs until March 4, 2016

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Through the Veil by Colleen Halverson – a Review

Through the Veil by Colleen Halverson – a Review

 

Through the VeilAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Elizabeth Tanner is no Tinkerbell, and her life is no fairy tale. Broke and drowning in student loans, the one thing she wants more than anything is a scholarship from the Trinity Foundation. But after the ancient Irish text she’s studying turns out to be more than just a book, she becomes their prisoner instead. And when Trinity reveals Elizabeth is half-Fae, she finds herself at the center of a plot to save the magical races of Ireland from a brutal civil war.

As Commander of Trinity’s elite warriors, Finn O’Connell isn’t used to having his authority challenged. He doesn’t know whether to punish or protect the infuriating young woman in his custody. When he discovers the Dark Fae want to use Elizabeth’s abilities to control the source of all power in the universe, he’ll risk everything to help her.

At the mercy of Trinity and enslaved to the Dark Fae, Elizabeth finds herself alone on the wrong side of an Irish myth thousands of years in the making. Refusing to be a pawn in their game, Elizabeth has to fight her way back to the man she loves, but to do so, she must wage her own war against the magic that binds her.

 

Review:

Through the Veil is Colleen Halverson’s debut novel, and for a debut novel I was rather impressed, even though she left me annoyed and wanting to pull out my hair after reading the last page. If anyone knows me in regards to my reading habits, cliff hangers in series are not my fancy, as I hate waiting to see what’s going to happen next. Let me just say, I’m on pins and needles waiting for the next installment to Ms. Halverson’s Aisling Chronicles. I need to know what’s in store for our hero and heroine, Finn O’Connell and Elizabeth Tanner. Things just can’t end the way they did in book one. They deserve their happily ever after and screw the archaic laws of Trinity and Amergin. Don’t even get me started on that character, I absolutely hated him and in my books, he’s a villain and not on Finn or Elizabeth’s side. I’d love nothing more then for Elizabeth to use her aisling powers on him and send him off to some dark cave or nether region never to be seen again. But I digress, and sorry for my ranting. As you can see Ms. Halverson definitely captivated my interest with Through the Veil and has earned herself a new fan.

At first I was torn with our hero Finn and how he was towards poor Elizabeth who knew nothing of her Fae heritage. He drove me absolutely batty with his double treatment of Elizabeth. One minute he was sweet, charming and falling for her, then the next he’s cold, detached and trying to push her away. It wasn’t until midway through the story, and then near the very end where it all falls into place why he was acting that way. Being the gallant hero he is, Finn was trying to protect both him and Elizabeth from the archaic laws of Trinity and the Fae world. I was heart broken to learn of their fate should their relationship be discovered. In the end Finn did win my heart and I wanted nothing more then for him to find true love and happiness with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is such a well written heroine. She’s strong, intelligent, feisty, with a vulnerability that draws you too her. Having known nothing of her Fae heritage poor Elizabeth is literally thrown into a whole new world she knows nothing about, but bravely accepts everything that is thrust upon her. One thing I did like was the way Ms. Halverson balanced Elizabeth’s humanity with her Fae powers. As she’s learning her Fae powers as an aisling(a creature able to travel between worlds/dimensions) she never forgets her humanity and the rights or wrongs of her actions in using her powers. Elizabeth is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Fae world and I can’t wait to see where her aisling powers will take her.

Through the Veil is a well thought out story, with rich world building and twists and turns at every corner surrounding our heroine and hero. The character development for not only our leading couple, but also the amazing cast of secondary characters helps propel the story forward and keep the reader intrigued and hanging on every word uttered by our amazing cast of characters. It’s definitely a page-turner and you don’t realize how fast a read Through the Veil is until you’ve read the last line and scream, NOOOOO it can’t end that way. Yes that was my response to the last line of this story, LOL!! Okay, so I like my HEA’s tied up nice and neat at the end of good story, what can I say I’m a romantic at heart. 🙂

Until next time, happy reading everyone!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

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NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

The Reading Cafe is offering a 2 paper book prize package for today’s giveaway

ONE (1) commenter will receive both books from The Reading Cafe

Giveaway Feb 27

 

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs until March 5, 2016

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Flame’s Dawn by Jillian David – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Flame’s Dawn by Jillian David – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Flames DawnAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
The Vietnam War throws tough but vulnerable Specialist Jane Larson into the strong arms of cursed immortal Captain Barnaby Blackstone. As the world disintegrates around them, one night of passion ends with him shoving her onto a helicopter as a bomb explodes right where he stood.

Years later, Jane is neck deep in an undercover DEA operation gone horribly wrong. Kidnapped and then committed to an asylum, she has no hope of escape from the clutches of cult leader and narcotic trafficker, Tim Thompson. The only thing that sustains her through the pain is the image of a certain Captain’s handsome face. Now that she is broken in body and spirit, she has no future with any man, including Barnaby.

As cursed Indebted killer, Barnaby has spent several of his immortal years searching for the fierce and beautiful woman who had unlocked hope in his cold, hard soul. When he finds her near death in a hospital, he uses his Indebted strength to help her escape, but in the process attracts the attention of a maniac who is intent on revenge. To save Jane, he must reveal his deepest secret and risk her rejection.

 

Review

Flame’s Dawn by Jillian David is a prequel to her Hell to Pay series.
I have read the whole series, and loved it, so I inhaled the next chapter of this series.

This is about Barnaby. Having read this series so far, I know how this ends. And it’s a great story. We hear so much about Barnaby through the other books in the series, and how he interacts with the other characters, it was great to read his story. Only downside …… It wasn’t long enough 😉

For those who haven’t read the series (boy you need to read the series) indebted are immortal killers for their master Jerahmeel (like the devil) they kill using a special knife, it absorbs their soul and it feeds their master. They start as humans, but after an injustice, Jerahmeel may or may not hear their cries, he gets them to sign a contract, and they are eternally his. They can only escape once they have completed the special kill. No one knows how to end their contract.

We start Barnaby and Jane’s story in war torn Vietnam. Both have noticed each other for a while, but neither have acted on it.  This is where you think the story ends, but it doesn’t.

We jump to the future, Jane is now working for the DEA, going deep undercover to break a drug and cult ring, she is soon in over her head. Being forced to take drugs, poor Jane is broken, and to keep her quiet, she is placed in an asylum.

Barnaby is now sick of his life as an indebted, he searches for a loophole, a way to release himself and others from their servitude, but he has never forgotten Jane; always wondering where she ended up.

The couple are reunited when he finds her in the asylum, breaking her free, as they attempt to hide from the cult/drugs leader. As the drugs begin to leave Janes system, she begins to notice things. Barnaby heals really fast, can do things that shouldn’t be possible. And when confronting him, will she believe the things he will say to her ?

If you’ve read the other books, then this is a must, if you haven’t, then this is a good place to start.  It’s a prequel, but really, you can read it at the start of the series, or at the end. But I’m going to read it again, then go back to the other stories.

Reviewed by Julie B

Copy provided by Author

Guest Post beige

Heating Up the Pages

Steam factor. Swoon. Heat level. The tingly good feels.

Maybe it’s that moment when the hero and heroine’s eyes meet. Or the zing of sensation when a hand brushes against an arm or a shoulder. The way her mouth moves when she tells a story. The way he intently watches her walk across a room. Maybe it’s a simple smile. Or maybe it’s that promise to fulfill all those dark fantasies.

We all love some level of heat in our romances. Some readers enjoy just enough heat to make the tummy flutter and the heart skip a beat. Some readers want so much that they need supplemental oxygen and nitroglycerin tablets to make it through certain scenes.

On a scale, if you figure handholding falls at a 1 and wild monkey sex with whips and chains in zero gravity falls in at about a 10, then I like to write a heat level around a 6-8. Where my characters fall within this scale depends on their past, their belief systems, their fears, and how they respond to their partner.

I like to write to a heat level that’s enough to spice up the night and makes the encounter oh-so-satisfying, but still leaves some…depths…uncharted. But is the heat all about the act of sex itself – upping the kinkiness or sexual ante to creative heights? Or is heating up the pages about much, much more?

Gentle reader, you know the answer to that question. Heat levels totally depend on what comes before the actual sex. Chapters and pages well before the actual sex, in fact.

It’s really fun to write about the kind of heat builds and builds until it combusts like a match to a gasoline spill. I like the sexiness and steamy hot connection simmering for a long time before going into a full boil. Because when that flash point is reached. Wow.

Creating the heat is about everything BUT sex. Ok, it’s somewhat about sex, but the not-sex part is the most important part. How the fuel is mixed, how the accelerant is added, how the tinder is stacked, and finally, finally…striking that match. Giving that one tiny spark that – boom – flashes into Earth-shattering passion.

So how do you get to the kaboom? (Euphemistically speaking, of course!) It’s all about the little things.

The big O moment (whether that means Orgasm or Oh let’s be together forever) doesn’t happen without a bunch of little moments leading up to it – and I don’t mean foreplay in the bedroom beforehand. They say the woman’s erogenous zone is her mind, and I believe it. The intense gaze, the way he focuses on what she’s saying, his little touch in the small of her back – each action turns up the heat another few degrees. The way she brushes past his arm, or gets him to open up about his life, or tells a joke. Click, click, click – turn that knob. Increase the heat.

So heat isn’t about “Tab A into Slot B” details. Well, okay, maybe it is a >little< about the mechanics of kissing or petting or sex. But true heat is when there is meaning and history and longing infused into every movement of passion. That’s at least how I try to write the scenes. Turning up the heat is all about what got your characters to this moment that makes the moment mind-blowingly amazing. It’s about the things in the character’s past that has made him or her so vulnerable in the moment.

So, when that spark hits the fuel —

It bursts into flame.

 

Giveaway beige

Jillian is offering 2 e-copies of Immortal Flame (Book #1  of Hell to Pay series) to TWO (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging in, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway is open to Internationally.

8. Giveaway runs from February 28 to March 3, 2016

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Unexpected Rush by Jaci Burton – a Review

Unexpected Rush by Jaci Burton – a Review

 

Unexpected RushAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
For Barrett Cassidy, playing defense for the Tampa Hawks is a dream come true. And now he may have discovered his dream woman. Harmony Evans, once the sweet, gawky teenage sister of his best friend and teammate has grown into a smart, gorgeous woman with moves he finds hard to resist. But he knows he can’t get involved with his best friend’s sister—it’s guy code.

Harmony has always gone after what she wants with single-minded determination, from her independence to her education to her career in interior design. She never expected her youthful crush on Barrett to develop into something deeper. And she’s not about to let some ridiculous man rules or her brother stand in her way.

When the chemistry is this combustible, lines tend to get crossed. And when Barrett and Harmony’s secret gets out, it just might be game over…

 

 

Review:

I absolutely love this series. Jaci Burton has managed to pen another fun, flirty and sexy as hell story for Barrett and Harmony. We met Barrett in the previous couple of books as a supporting character, as this portion of the series has been focusing on the Cassidy siblings, all pro athletes. When it comes to sports and romance, Jaci seems to have the market cornered. Once again she does a bang on job of balancing romance with high-energy sports scenes.   Not that the sex scenes in this one aren’t high energy, because let me tell you, Barrett and Harmony were steaming up almost every other page once they finally gave into temptation and decided to start seeing each other.  

Both Barrett and Harmony are well developed characters who carried the story without much effort. From their first scene together in chapter one sparks started flying between them and it just took off from there. Barrett and Harmony are both driven professionally(Barrett a pro football player, Harmony an interior designer) and passionately. They know what they like both in and out of the bedroom and aren’t afraid to go after it. Well, except for Barrett at first because of the all important ‘guy code’ he’s afraid to cross. Barrett is worried that getting involved with Harmony will damage his friendship with her brother Drake and he’s also Barrett’s defense partner on the football field. Watching Barrett try and dodge Harmony’s advances and remind her of the ‘guy code’ was hilarious and one could see there was no way the ‘guy code’ was winning out.

As their romance proceeds at a hot and heavy rate I was on pins and needles waiting for the moment Drake found out about Harmony and Barrett. Meeting Drake and learning about him in this one, you knew it would be explosive between him and Barrett when he finally found out, and Jaci didn’t disappoint.   It was a hell of a scene and well written. Not only was that scene well done, but the scenes to follow absolutely stole my heart and my breath. Watching Barrett man up and finally do the right thing by fixing things between him and Drake, him and his future mother-in-law and then him and Harmony was well worth the wait. The speech he gives to Drake was moving and heartfelt between two friends, but his apology and groveling to Harmony about how he handled their relationship spoke volumes and had me tearing up a little. Then onto his proposal, oh my, what a proposal, I was gushing over it. If I guy did that for me and said the things Barrett said, I’d be able to say I truly found my Prince Charming, because Barrett definitely turned out to be Harmony’s Prince. I’ve never read a more romantic proposal then Barrett’s to Harmony, bravo Ms. Burton.

Unexpected Rush is a wonderful installment to this series. It had everything in it that I come to expect from a Burton novel; a fun flirty adventure packed with high energy sports scenes, a sexy steamy romance, amazing cast of secondary characters to help advance the story, the fun sibling rivalry between the Cassidy brothers, and the importance of family. For the sport lover in me, I only wish there was a little more sports action like in her previous novels, but all in all I was a happy camper reading this one. If the added scenes with Flynn and his new head chef for his new restaurant were any kind of hint for her next Play-by-Play novel, then I think we will be in for a treat when Flynn’s book comes out hopefully next year. I’ll keep you all posted.

Until next time, happy reading sports fans!

Reviewed by Marcie

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Giveaway Celebration with Laura Kaye

Today’s 4th Anniversary Giveaway Celebration with Laura Kaye

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NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

Laura Kaye is graciously offering a SIGNED, paper copy of any ONE (1) book from her HARD INK SERIES.

TWO (2) commenters will receive a SIGNED, paper copy of any ONE (1) book from Laura Kaye’s HARD INK SERIES–International giveaway

Hard Ink Series 2

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Bad Boy: An Indecent Proposal #3 by JC Reed and Jackie Steele-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

BAD BOY: An Indecent Proposal #3 by JC Reed and Jackie Steele-Review, Book tour & Giveaway

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Bad Boy: An Indecent Proposal #3
by JC Reed and Jackie Steele
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Genre: adult,contemporary, romantic suspense

Bad Boy

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.UK / Amazon.AU / B&N / KOBO / iTunes

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 23, 2016

I should have seen it coming. Sexy? Handsome? Trouble? Check, check, and check.
Is he messing up my life? Hell yes. All the signs are there: he is a bad boy.
Even his name is a lie. Too bad I married him. I can’t wait to get divorced.
Does this make me sound crazy?
I know I should avoid him, run as fast as I can. However, when a harmless misunderstanding lands me in a foreign prison cell, my dear, lying husband is the only one who can get me out. Crap. I shouldn’t accept.

But how to say no to trouble when said trouble is the one who makes me fantasize all the dirty things he could do to me?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: BAD BOY is the third installment in JC Reed and Jackie Steele’s contemporary, adult AN INDECENT PROPOSAL romantic, suspense series focusing on Chase Wright, and Lauren Hanson. Their continuing story finds Lauren on the run from a man she knows nothing about. BAD BOY should not be read as a stand alone as the events in BAD BOY are as a result of the events in the first two installments.

SOME BACKGROUND: The focus is on Lauren’s need for a ‘fiance’. According to her mother’s will, in order to gain access to a set of letters her mother bequeathed upon her death, Laurie must be in a committed relationship before her twenty third birthday. Enter-handsome and mysterious actor Chase Wright-who easily accepts all of the conditions set out by Miss Hanson. What ensues is a game where Laurie becomes a pawn in a messy financial deal where her step father controls all of the moves, and Chase is the man to take him down.

Told from first person point of view (Lauren) BAD BOY focuses on the lies, secrets and revelations behind Chase’s appearance in Lauren’s life. At the end of book two-THE AGREEMENT-Lauren discovered that everything she thought she knew about Chase was a lie. He is a man with an end game, and Lauren is a means to that end. Lauren is on the run from the only man she has ever loved, and with it comes the truth about Chase’s need to keep Laurie in his life. What ensues is a battle of wills that finds Laurie in some dangerous situations trusting a man she knows very little about.

BAD BOY: An Indecent Proposal slowly reveals Chase’s secrets; his need to keep hidden the truth; and the depths to which he will go to get revenge against the man who destroyed his family and his life. Lauren’s life continues to unravel and with it comes the heartbreaking truth about her mother’s life, her mother’s will, and the man her mother once loved.

The world building continues to focus on Lauren and Chase’s relationship but the focus turns upon Chase’s need for revenge and retaliation. The relationship between our leading couple struggled through most of the story line-Lauren could no longer trust the man she thought she once loved; and Chase placated to the woman who was a business arrangement that would become something more.

I did have a couple of issues with this story line: the quick conflict resolution that fast forwarded the story line fifteen months wherein we know few details about the who, what and why-all of the angst and anxiety is needless in the face of a blanket conclusion; and the appearance of Chase’s brother Kaiden –his role in the story felt more like a ‘red herring’ because there was never any resolution to his relationship with Lauren, and the secrets about his past.

BAD BOY is an entertaining story line but one that should not be read as a stand alone novel. The premise is intriguing; the characters are rebellious; the romance got lost in the story line conflict-sadly I felt the romance never got past a case of contractual duty.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

Bad Boy Teaser

Excerpt

Bad Boy Teaser 2

Author Links

Author J.C. REED
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Author JACKIE STEELE
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Giveaway

JC Reed is offering an ecopy of BAD BOY: An Indecent Proposal to TWO (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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4. Please follow JC Reed on Facebook.

5. Please follow Jackie Steele on Facebook.

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10. Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY

11. Giveaway runs until February 27 to March 2, 2016

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

Today’s 4th Anniversary Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

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All giveaways require a comment to qualify

The Reading Cafe is offering a 3 book prize package for today’s giveaway

ONE (1) lucky commenter will win all 3 paper back books from The Reading Cafe

Feb 26 giveaway

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs until February 29, 2016

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