The Cabin by Jasinda Wilder-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway tour

The Cabin by Jasinda Wilder-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 23, 2020

One year ago, I buried my husband.

One year ago, I held his hand and said goodbye.

Now I spend most of my days lost somewhere between trying to remember every smallest detail of our lives, and trying to forget it all. I fill my hours with work until I’m too exhausted to remember him, to feel anything at all.

One year, 365 days—and then one knock at my door changes everything. A letter from him, a last request, a secret will:

My dearest Nadia,

Trust me, my love. One last time, trust me. Sometimes the epilogue to one story is the beginning of another.

••••••••

REVIEW:THE CABIN by Jasinda Wilder is a contemporary, adult, stand alone story of romance focusing on three people: novelist Adrian Bell, and registered nurse Nadia Bell, and carpenter Nathan Fischer.

Told from three first person perspectives (Adrian and Nadia Bell, and Nathan Fischer) THE CABIN focuses on dying, death, grief and living. Adrian Bell had only months to live and in an effort to protect his wife, hid his illness until the very end. In preparation for his wife’s inevitable grief, Adrian maps out the beginning of her future beginning with a cabin in the woods, and a journey towards a second chance at love and a happily ever after.

THE CABIN is an emotional, heart breaking, real and raw story of life and death; tragedy and vulnerability; grief and acceptance. It is also a story of friendships, relationships, family and love. Jasinda Wilder pulls the reader into a captivating, absorbing and visceral tale where death is not always the end but often the beginning of something new.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

1: NDA
“All right, Mr. Bell. You’re all set here, I think.”
The nurse is that peculiar, unique brand of brusque efficiency and Zen-like kindness you only find in an oncology department. She fiddles with the IV line puncturing my left arm, the off-white, veiny medical tape securing it to my forearm. Her eyes are brown, the exact shade of a chocolate Labrador’s fur. She is warm, and caring, but lurking beneath that veneer of caregiver kindness is the detached iciness of someone whose job it is to watch people die.
“It will take a couple hours for this to drip through, and then we have to monitor you for—”
“I know,” I interrupt. I open the lid of my laptop. “I’ve been through this a few times.”
She smiles. “Of course, Mr. Bell. If you need anything, just press the call button.”
I hesitate a few seconds and then say, “There is something.” Then I glance at the curtain which is not quite pulled shut.
She catches my meaning and brings the two ends of the curtain together, the metal rings rasping with a rattling ring. “What can I do for you, Mr. Bell?”
I reach into my messenger bag, sitting on the floor next to this monstrosity of a chair—a freakish, Frankensteinian thing, not quite a lounger and not quite a clinical, medical device, but something in between. It’s made from a rubbery plastic or vinyl material that squeaks at every slight movement, and is too hard and too upright to be truly comfortable, but when you kick back in it and lift the footrest, it forces you into a near-horizontal recline in an unnatural defiance of gravity.
The chair is distracting, and I hate the chair almost as much as I hate the ward, the IV, and the whole damned morbid circus.
In my bag is a thin manila folder. On the label I’ve written three letters in neat block handwriting, in black Sharpie: NDA. I withdraw a single sheet of paper, on which are two and a half paragraphs, single-spaced. It’s in tight, clear legalese, drawn up by my attorney, printed on formal, intimidating letterhead. I hand it to the nurse whose nametag, clipped to her pale green sleeve, announces her as Tiffany Snell, R.N, O.C.N.
“This is an NDA, a nondisclosure agreement.”
She allows a frown, briefly. “Okay?”
I keep my voice low, not whispering, but pitched for her ears only. “I’m here alone, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
“Yes. Which is why your observation period has to be so long.”
“I know.”
I reach into my bag and pull out a pen—it’s a nice pen, hefty, metal, with a satisfying clicker, and on the side is my name: Adrian Bell, and my logo, a coat of arms with my monogram. It’s recognizable to most people, that logo; you see it on the title page of my books, on my website, and expensively animated as a production company logo during the title sequences when you watch movies made from my books. I hand her the pen, tap the NDA with it.
“This says you will not disclose to anyone that I was here at all, let alone why. I’m paying for this with cash, so there’s no insurance paperwork trail.”
She frowns again as she reads. “Why is it a secret, may I ask?”
“I have my reasons,” I say. “Whatever else must be done in the process of this infusion, I would like you to do, including observation and my eventual discharge. All right? This means that just one person has to sign this little item.” I tap the NDA again.
“And if I don’t sign it?” It’s not meant belligerently, just…a simple question.
I smile. “Tiffany—Miss Snell. Do I really need to spell this out? You know who I am. I don’t want this getting out. That’s all. I’m protecting my privacy.”
She breathes out gently—it’s not a sigh, more of a thoughtful breath. “What about your wife? Why isn’t she here?”
It takes all I have to not wince at the question. “I’m going to have to decline to answer that, Miss Snell. Can you please just sign? It just means you don’t tell anyone I was here. If coworkers ask, you simply say you can’t talk about it. Don’t make a big deal about it, just that—I can’t talk about it. That’s all.” I pause, smile again. “Would it help you to know I’m a yearly donor to this facility?”
She rolls a shoulder. “Not really. I’m just a nurse.” Another of those thoughtful out-breaths. “Mr. Bell, I’ll sign your NDA. But I have to register my thoughts with you. Hiding this is not fair.” Her warm brown eyes momentarily reveal the sadness she normally keeps hidden. “I’ve seen your file, obviously. What you’re dealing with, it’s…it’s not…”
“It doesn’t have a stellar survival rate,” I finish. “I know.”
“Hiding it from your wife, Mr. Bell—”
“Adrian.”
“It’s really, really not fair of you, Adrian. You’re not doing her any favors. I obviously don’t know a thing about your marriage, but if she loves you—”
I let out a shaky breath, cut her off. “She does, Tiffany. More than I deserve. More than…More than is, perhaps, healthy.”
“So why—”
“I have my reasons,” I say again. Now I do not smile. I frown in a way that says this conversation has to be over. “It’s not fair of me, I know. Believe me, I know. But it’s not fair that I have this. That I’m here. It’s not fair that I’m paying as much for this treatment as I am. What in your life can you list as unfair, Tiffany? A lot, I’m sure. Fair is a myth. Fair does not exist.”
She gazes at me evenly, steadily and then takes the pen from me. Signs the NDA in a nurse’s hasty scrawl. Dates it. Hands me the pen.
“Keep it.”
She lets a small smile cross her lips. “I’ve read all your books, you know. I enjoy them. They make me feel like I can believe in love again.” She gestures with the pen. “Thank you.”
“If you happen to have a copy with you, I’ll sign it for you.”
She bites a lip. “I do, actually.”
“Bring it when you come to check on me.”
She nods, hooks the pen by the clip at an angle in the V of her scrub top. Smiles at me again, and leaves.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, my mother used to tell me.
I enter the passcode on my laptop; there’s Wi-Fi here, so I could check email, but I don’t. In fact, I turn Wi-Fi off, so I won’t be distracted by the siren song of email, pull my wireless earbuds from my bag, and turn on Rostropovich via my phone.
I open my manuscript. Close my eyes, take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out slowly. Repeat four times. Pushing away, mentally, the fog of the chemo, the pinch of the IV, the continual beeping of IV machines indicating a bag is finished, the occasional static PA announcements, the squeak of sensible sneakers, and the murmur of quiet conversations.
Push it all away. Find my flow.
It’s there, under the surface. It’s always there; it’s always been there. Like Louis L’Amour said, I could sit in the middle of Sunset Boulevard with a typewriter on my knees, and once I’m in the flow, I wouldn’t notice a thing but the words on the page.
With this story I’m working on now, though, it’s harder, and it takes more effort to sink down into it, more mental gymnastics to get into the flow. I need to find the right balance, tap into the necessary emotions, while still remaining the objective storyteller.
This one is personal. More than all the other books I’ve written over my career, this one…this one requires more of me.
And I have to get it right.
I’m writing it for an audience of one. Well, two. But really, just one. Her.
My love. My Nadia.


 

NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL and international bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include ALPHA, STRIPPED, WOUNDED, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller FALLING INTO YOU. You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her six children and menagerie of animals.

Connect with Jasinda

 

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Website: https://bit.ly/2IJv9YN

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Enter to win an Exclusive Cabin Recovery Kit! Join Jasinda’s Reader Group during release week and enter the big Giveaway pinned at the top of the group → https://bit.ly/35pQlKR

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After All (Romancing Manhattan 3) by Kristen Proby-Review Tour

After All (Romancing Manhattan 3) by Kristen Proby-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 14, 2020

The last sizzling novel in Kristen Proby’s Romancing Manhattan series finds a widower falling deeply in love again with a woman who has scars of her own.

When Carter Shaw’s wife died five years ago, he was left to pick up the pieces not only of his own broken heart but also that of his devastated eight-year-old daughter, Gabby—leaving him with no time for anything else, let alone dating. But recently, Carter has noticed women again and soon even begins dating. No one has stuck around for long, mostly thanks to one very angry Gabby.

Nora Hayes has worked as Carter’s assistant for years. Recently divorced herself, Nora spends many hours at the office and helping Carter with his daughter whom she adores. Despite loving her job and being wrapped up in the Shaw family, Nora’s never given her handsome, kind workaholic boss a second thought, especially in the romance department.

But then the snowstorm of the century hits, and Nora finds herself stranded at work with Carter overnight. And suddenly, she sees Carter in a whole new, sexy light. The sadness that’s lived in his eyes for so long has now been replaced with pure, unadulterated lust—and Nora isn’t quite sure what to do about it. For after the pain of her divorce, she never thought she would give love a second chance.

••••••••••

REVIEW:AFTER ALL is the third and final instalment in Kristen Proby’s contemporary, adult ROMANCING MANHATTAN erotic, romance series focusing on business partners and attorneys: Finn and Quinn Cavanaugh, and Carter Shaw. This is forty year old, attorney, widower and single father Carter Shaw, and thirty-four year old, divorcee and executive assistant Nora Hayes. AFTER ALL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nora and Carter), and a final chapter by Maggie, AFTER ALL follows the forbidden, workplace romance between forty year old, attorney, widower and single father Carter Shaw, and thirty-four year old, divorcee and executive assistant Nora Hayes. Nora Hayes has worked as Carter’s executive assistant for close to ten years, and in the five years since the death of his wife Darcy, Nora has become babysitter, caretaker and friend to his daughter Gabby. Married to the job, Nora’s divorce one year earlier finds our heroine working fourteen hour days to keep her boss and the office running smoothly but the sexual tension between Carter and Nora is growing exponentially, and it is only a matter of time before Nora and Carter cross the line into full blown romance when an unexpected snow storm strands our couple at the office, over night. Carter Shaw knows there is a work place rule about fraternizing with fellow employees, but as the boss and owner, Carter begins to push the boundaries with the woman with whom he will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Nora and Carter, as our couple traverse the employee/boss / single father minefield, and a personal crises of which Carter will fail.

Both Carter and Nora struggle with their parental relationships destroyed by issues of control. Nora is about to get a crash course in restraint when Carter’s twelve year old daughter Gabby begins to push the child-parent boundaries, and Carter battles between head and heart as it pertains to his relationship with our story line heroine.

The relationship between Carter and Nora is a forbidden boss/employee affair but Carter finds himself intrigued by the woman that is currently running his professional life. Having remained single for close to five years, Carter’s partners Finn and Quinn push our hero to take the next step toward his future, and a relationship with Nora Hayes. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful and strong secondary and supporting characters include Finn and London (All the Way #1), Quinn and Sienna (All It Takes #2), Carter’s daughter Gabby, and Finn and Quinn’s mother Maggie; Nora’s bestie Christopher, as well as the head of HR Mary, who may or may not have it out for our story line heroine.

AFTER ALL is a story of second chances for our leading couple. Both have love and lost, and are about to discover that love is better the second time around. The premise is heart warming, emotional and energetic ; the romance is sassy and provocative; the characters are playful, spirited and dynamic. AFTER ALL is my favorite instalment in the Romancing Manhattan series with a little bit of everything for the romantic in all of us.

Reading Order and previous reviews
All the Way
All It Takes

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen lives in Montana with her husband and their four pets, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

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A DATE FOR THE HUNT by Heidi McLaughlin and LP Dover-Review Tour

A DATE FOR THE HUNT (Dating Series) by Heidi McLaughlin and LP Dover-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date June 30, 2020

Allison Wood is single and not looking to mingle. Unfortunately, her sister, Erin, doesn’t take no for an answer. As the producer of a new reality TV show, that turns a traditional Easter egg hunt into a dating show, Erin believes her sister would be a perfect contestant and secures her a spot. 

Instead of cozying up at home and biting the ears off a chocolate bunny, Allison finds herself in Aruba hiding an egg while America watches. She could have been paired up with a slew of other guys. But who does fate match her with? Sexy fireman Hudson Bryant, who happens to be the same guy that made Allison’s high school years miserable. 

Go on a dating show, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. 

When viewers learn of their history, the pair instantly become a fan favorite. Everyone is eager to see how their story will unfold. For the good of the show, Allison agrees to play nice with the former jock… for now. 

Can Hudson make amends for the past and crack through Allison’s hard candy shell to her cream-filled center? Or will her time with him leave a bitter, black jelly bean taste in Allison’s mouth?

••••••••

REVIEW: A DATE FOR THE HUNT is the latest novella in the contemporary, adult, romance DATING SERIES co-authored by Heidi McLaughlin and LP Dover. This is fire fighter Hudson Bryant, and pharmacist Allison Wood’s story line. A DATE FOR THE HUNT is a complete stand alone. You do not have to have read any of the previous instalments in the series.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Allison and Hudson ) A DATE FOR THE HUNT focuses on an Easter themed reality show wherein the competitors are flown to Aruba where they will hunt for an egg, and their potential future. Allison Wood’s sister is one of the show’s producers and single Allison is the perfect foil for her sister’s plans but Allison never expected to come face to face with her high school bully, a man who no longer remembers what happened or why. Enter fire fighter Hudson Bryant. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Hudson and Allison, and the potential fall out when their time together comes to an end.

A DATE FOR THE HUNT is a story of forgiveness and revelations; acceptance and understanding; romance and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is real and romantic-this is my favorite story line so far; the characters are flirty and fun; the romance is fated and passionate. A DATE FOR THE HUNT is the perfect read for a lazy sunny afternoon.

Previous Reviews

A Date for Midnight
A Date with an Admirer
A Date for Good Luck

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Heidi McLaughlin: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter /Instagram /Pinterest

Originally from Portland, Oregon and raised in 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, Buttercup and a Highland Westie/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL and her brother, Racicot.

When she isn’t writing one of the many stories planned for release, you’ll find her sitting courtside during either daughter’s basketball games.

Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, is currently in production for a major motion picture.

••••••••

LP Dover: Website/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Google+ / Amazon / Goodreads / Newsletter

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.

She loves to write, but she also loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes and white water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.

Dover has written countless novels, including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, the Armed & Dangerous series, the Royal Shifters series, the Society X series, the Circle of Justice series, and her standalone novel Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense, but if she got to choose a setting in which to live, it would be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.

L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency and Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management for dramatic rights.

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Freed (Rosewood Bay #3) by Carly Phillips-Review Tour

FREED ( Rosewood Bay #3) by Carly Phillips-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 10, 2018

Fall for the missing Ward sister…

Juliette Collins is privileged and isolated from the world by her over-protective father. She thinks she knows the truth about her history until a file on her father’s computer reveals she has sisters she never knew about. A family she’s never met. Betrayed, she realizes there’s a life waiting for her outside the walls of her daddy’s New York City penthouse and Juliet is determined to live it. Against her father’s wishes, she heads to a small beach community to meet her siblings… and finds herself way out of her depth instead.

In the personal protection business, Braden Clark thinks nothing of taking on a job to watch over a city girl in town for the summer. If her father wants to know his daughter is safe, it’s no problem and an easy way of earning a paycheck. Except Braden doesn’t count on falling for the sheltered Juliette. Watching her experience her firsts, getting an apartment, finding a job, meeting up with her lost sisters, soon Braden’s brand of protection becomes a little too personal. He’s mixing business with pleasure and lying to a woman he’s coming to care deeply about.

Sexual attraction burns bright between them and Braden is by her side as she finds herself, her family, and what it means to love… but what happens when she discovers his secret? That he’s been paid to watch over her all along?

••••••••••••••

REVIEW:  FREED is the third instalment in Carly Phillips’ contemporary, adult ROSEWOOD BAY romance series focusing on the Ward sisters. This is missing Ward sister twenty-six year old Juliette Collins, and private investigator Braden Clark’s story line. FREED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Juliette and Braden) FREED follows Juliette Collins, the missing Ward sibling, as she searches for the sisters she knew nothing about. Raised by her over-protective father, following the death of her mother, Juliette has been sheltered her entire life until the day she reads her father’s file about her ‘not so dead’ mother, and the daughters (Juliette’s sisters) he abandoned years before. Heading to Rosewood Bay to meet Phoebe and Halley Ward, Juliette is unaware that her father, New York City investment banker Andrew Collins, has hired a private investigator to report back on the daughter of whom he is desperate to return home. Enter Braden Clark, former police officer and PI, and the man with whom Juliette will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Juliette and Braden, and the fall-out when Juliette learns the truth about her father’s ongoing betrayal, and the lie of omission by Braden Clark.

FREED is a story of betrayal, secrets and lies. From the proverbial frying pan into the fire, Juliette Collins discovers that the men in her life cannot be trusted. Naïve and isolated from the basic experiences of life Juliette Collins embarks on a bucket-list of activities beginning with the introduction to the sisters she never knew. Braden Clark struggles in the face of his father’s ever—increasing Alzheimer’s disease, a disease that is quickly destroying the man he once was. Falling for Juliette Collins was never in the plans but meeting the awkward, innocent and beautiful Juliette gave Braden a hope for a happily ever after.

The relationship between Juliette and Braden is off-limits due to the fact that Braden has been hired to spy on our heroine, reporting back to the father who has broken her heart. The attraction between Juliette and Braden is immediate but Braden’s pursuit of Juliette is an ongoing mix-up of signals for our story line heroine. The romance is fun, flirty and spicy. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The wonderful secondary and supporting characters include Juliette’s sisters Phoebe (and Jake), Hally (and Kane) as well as the local florist Andrea ‘Andi’ Harmon; Juliette, Phoebe and Hally’s father Andrew; Braden’s struggling father Jonathan Clark, and their neighbor Lucy Mulligan. Andi and Kyle’s story line is next in DREAM, a departure from the Ward sister story lines.

FREED continues to focus on the daughter’s of New York City investment banker Andrew Collins, a man who abandoned his eldest children, and left them to suffer with a drug-addicted mother. Raised in the child-welfare system, Phoebe and Hally have battled the stigma of desertion, betrayal, and drug abuse to find their happily ever after without the aid of neglectful parents. FREED is an encouraging story of independence, with animated and playful characters. The struggle was limited to the lies and deception directed towards our story line heroine; the conflict resolution was a little too neat and clean for this reader.

Reading Order and previous Reviews
Fearless
Breathe
Freed

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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

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Ladies Man (Manwhore #3) by Katy Evans-a review

LADIES MAN (Manwhore #3) by Katy Evans-a review

Ladies Man

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 26, 2016

Tahoe Roth.
Irreverent, cocky, playful and naughty.
He’s not the guy you date.
He’s the one night stand.
The one your mother warned you about.
The one your body craves.

You’d think the man who called me succulent would want to strip me down and spread me out on his bed—like he’s done with countless others.

But he passed on my offer….
Just like I’d once passed on his.
He’s wary, like I am.
He’s broken, like I am.
And everyone knows two broken parts can’t ever make a whole.
Tahoe and I are strictly friends.
So I distract myself with other men.

He doesn’t think my new man is good enough. This blond blue-eyed beast doesn’t think any man is—himself included.

But the more time we spend together, the more confused I feel. I’m trying to open myself to love.

Yet I’m quickly realizing that the only man I want is Tahoe Roth. The one man who will surely break my heart.

A sexy new Manwhore series standalone contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

••••••••

REVIEW: LADIES MAN is the third full-length installment in Katy Evans’s contemporary, adult MANWHORE erotic, romance series. This is Tahoe Roth, and Regina ‘Gina’ Wylde’s story line-a friends to lovers trope that looks at two people who have loved one another from afar but are unwilling to take the next step in their relationship. LADIES MAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. We were first introduced to Gina and Tahoe in Evans’s MS. MANWHORE 2.5. The story line covers approximately eighteen months.

Told from first person point of view (Gina) LADIES MAN follows Gina and Tahoe’s relationship-friends who are struggling in their own personal lives. Tahoe is a ‘manwhore’ who is never without female company both in and outside of his bedroom. Gina is his best friend and Tahoe has never once made a pass at her-making Gina wonder why. What ensues is Tahoe’s continued manwhoring ways, while Gina begins to look for someone more stable and permanent in her life. Enter Trent-Tahoe’s competition for Gina’s heart –a heart that has been broken by Tahoe’s reputation with the ladies.

LADIES MAN focuses on a deep friendship that begins to slide into relationship territory but throughout most of the story, Gina claims to have found the one in Trent yet she can’t help but think she is settling for someone she doesn’t love. Tahoe is the man that calls to her heart but Gina has a difficult time accepting Tahoe and the copious number of women in his life.

Tahoe Roth is a manwhore-he doesn’t deny it, and his bestie Gina reminds him at every opportunity. But Tahoe has a past- one that Gina knows nothing about, and it is his past that has forged his need to get lost in a series of one-night stands and multiple women. Tahoe is a man trying to forget about the past but with every woman he beds, he sees Gina in her place.

Most of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting roles. We revisit with Malcolm and Rachel, Wynn and Emmett, and Callan. We are introduced to Tahoe’s family including his sister Livvy, as well as Gina’s mother and father who spend most of their time travelling the world. Callan Carmichael’s story is next.

As per Katy’s writing style in many of her books, there is some unnecessary repetition and redundancy like the playful kicking and slapping between our leading couple, as well as the constant reference to the color of Tahoe’s eyes. Sometimes the repetition feels like needless filler.

LADIES MAN is a fun, delightful and emotional story line. I felt Gina’s sadness over Tahoe’s manwhoring, yet her need to remind Tahoe about his sexual exploits was difficult to accept. Was she trying to make Tahoe understand her pain? Who knows but his reputation and good looks attracted all sorts of female attention. The premise is entertaining and compelling; the characters are dynamic and passionate; the romance is a slow build-a game of push and pull between fated friends and lovers. Katy Evans adds another enjoyable and provocative tale to her romance collection..

Copy supplied by the promoter

Reviewed by Sandy

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Stuck Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward-Review and Book Tour

STUCK UP SUIT by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward-Review & Book Tour

 

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STUCK UP SUIT
by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
Release Date: April 11, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

stuck - up suit cover

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ABOUT THE BOOK: April 11, 2016

It started out like any other morning on the train.

Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle.

He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world.

Who did the stuck-up suit think he was…God?

Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it.

When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out.

I might have picked it up.

I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers.

I might have held onto the mystery man’s phone for days—until I finally conjured up the courage to return it.

When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me.

So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk’s office.

I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though.

I didn’t expect him to text back.

I didn’t expect our exchanges to be hot as hell.

I didn’t expect to fall for him—all before we even met.

The two of us couldn’t have been any more different.

Yet, you know what they say about opposites.

When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract—we consumed each other.

Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: STUCK UP SUIT is a contemporary, adult, erotic romance stand alone story line co-authored by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. This is successful businessman Graham Morgan, and personal assistant Soraya Venedetta’s story line. There is a slight cross over with Vi and Penelope’s COCKY BASTARD.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Graham and Soraya) STUCK UP SUIT follows the building relationship between Graham Morgan and Soraya Vendetta who meet when Graham accidentally loses his cell phone on the morning commute. When Soraya ‘tries’ to return the cell phone to Graham, the snarly and angry businessman refuses to acknowledge her existence or the fact that she returned his personal property. Leaving Graham a few personal camera images on his phone, Soraya walks away hoping to never hear from the pr*ck again. What ensues is Graham’s attempt to win Soraya at any cost while her presence in his life, changes our hero into a different man.

STUCK UP SUIT focuses on family, betrayal and heartbreak. While Graham tries to get Soraya to open up about her life, Graham himself is about to discover that there are secrets in his past he knew nothing about. There are several moments of humor and fun, as well as the emotional fall out of betrayal and grief.

The world building focuses on the relationship between Soraya and Graham-his need for the woman that calls to his heart; and Soraya’s need to let go of the past. When Graham’s past comes looking for a second chance, Soraya is willing to step away so history doesn’t repeat itself-again.

STUCK UP SUIT is a wonderful and brilliant read with a fascinating group of characters and a premise that is emotional, funny, heartbreaking and inspiring- a great blend of everything you could want in a romance story. The characters are colorful, energetic and often tender; the romance is passionate, sensual and intense.

Copy supplied by the tour promoter

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Stuck UP Suit Teaser

excerpt

Outside of the restaurant, Graham’s black car was already curbside. He must have had it waiting and called the driver when I went to the restroom.
“If you’re not going to come home with me, I insist on at least giving you a ride home to your place.”
“The subway is right around the corner. I’m good.”
He shot me an annoyed glance. “Give a little, Soraya. It’s a ride home, not a ride on my cock. And I think you know by now that I’m not a serial killer.”
“You’re so crass.”
He put his hand on the small of my back and steered me to the waiting open car door. I didn’t put up a fight. Graham was right, I was being stubborn while he had pretty much agreed to anything I demanded. Something told me it was a rare occasion when the man was this flexible.
When we arrived at my apartment, Graham walked me to the door.
“When will I see you again?”
“Well, tomorrow is Saturday, so I suppose maybe Monday on the train.”
“Have dinner with me again tomorrow?”
“I have plans.”
His jaw flexed. “With whom?”
We embarked into a lengthy stare off. His gaze was hard. When neither of us gave for a few minutes, he grumbled Christ under his breath, and before I realized what was happening, my back was against the door, and his mouth was on mine.
He kissed me as if he wanted to eat me alive. Before releasing my mouth, he took my lower lip between his teeth and tugged. Hard. With his lips vibrating up against mine, he spoke. “Don’t push me to my limit, Soraya.”
“Why? What will happen?”
“I’ll push back. And I’m trying not to do that with you.”
He was being honest, and I realized I should appreciate that. “To my sister’s house. It’s my niece’s birthday party. That’s where I’m going tomorrow night.
He nodded. “Thank you.”
It took every bit of my willpower to go inside and shut the door behind me. I leaned my back against the door, unable to remember the last time I was so hot and bothered. Maybe not ever. His mouth was sinful; the thought of what he could do with that wicked tongue other places on my body kept me in a state of arousal that bordered on frenzied. But it was more than that. The way he was so dominating and controlling, yet exercised restraint to respect my wishes, was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. The man stimulated something that had been sleeping inside of me. I needed a glass of wine and an orgasm. Not necessarily in that order. If I was going be firm on my stance that we get to know each other and not have sex, then taking things into my own hands was absolutely essential.
In my bedroom, I stripped out of my clothes. I didn’t sleep naked every night, but tonight was definitely a bare evening. As I slipped into bed, my cell rang.
“Is phone sex on the table?” Graham’s voice was a needy rasp. Whatever cooling off my body had done since I left him on the other side of the door was instantly reheated. His voice could definitely speed things up for me. But…
“Sex is off the table. That should probably include all types of sex. Intercourse, oral, phone.”
He groaned. “Oral. God, I want to taste you. And feel that metal tongue ring on my cock. You have no idea how difficult it was to control myself tonight every time I caught a glimpse of that metal when you spoke. It’s like you’re taunting me with every word. What are you wearing, Soraya?”
That voice. I needed to record him saying What are you wearing, Soraya? So I could play it over and over again in a loop when I needed to satisfy my own needs. “I’m actually not wearing anything. I just got undressed and slipped into bed.”
“You sleep naked?”
“Sometimes.”
He actually growled. “Touch yourself.”
“I plan to. But I think I’m going to need both hands tonight. So I’m going to hang up first.”
“How long do you plan on driving me crazy, Soraya?”
“Good night, Graham.” I hung up without waiting for him to respond. Even though my body physically ached for the man, I wasn’t ready to open that door with him just yet. Although as I glided my hand down my body alone in my bed, the only thing I could think of was God, I wish it was his hand.

About The Author Black and White

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

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••••••••

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is an attorney and a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today Best Selling author. Over the last three years, ten of her titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestseller lists and three on the New York Times Bestseller lists.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest

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Fight to The Finish (First to Fight #3) by Jeanette Murray-Review & Giveaway

FIGHT TO THE FINISH (First to Fight #3) by Jeanette Murray-Review and Giveaway

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FIGHT TO THE FINISH
First To Fight 3
by Jeanette Murray
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, suspense

Fight to the Finish

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2016

Kara is a single mom working hard to keep life running smoothly for herself and her son, but a custody battle is wearing her down. When her friend suggests asking a JAG officer for some unofficial advice, Kara agrees—and soon finds herself officially head over heels…

As a Judge Advocate, Graham has seen his share of nasty custody disputes—and he plans on keeping his distance from this one. But this purposeful, passionate woman has a way of drawing him ever closer to the edge. And when Kara’s ex starts to throw his weight around, Graham will have to choose between toeing the line or stepping into the ring.

•••••••

REVIEW: FIGHT TO THE FINISH is the third and final installment in Jeanette Murray’s contemporary, adult FIRST TO FIGHT romance series focusing on a group of US Marines’ boxing team. This is Judge Advocate Graham Sweeney, and single mom/yoga instructor Kara Smith’s story line. FIGHT TO THE FINISH can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing story line of attack against the Marines that runs through each of the installments.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Kara and Graham) FIGHT TO THE FINISH is the culmination of three stories; three couples, and the increase in vandalism against the Marines in question. Graham Sweeney is a Judge Advocate with the Marines, and a member of their boxing team whose attraction to yoga instructor Kara Smith does not go unnoticed by everyone around. Kara is a single mother to ten year old Zach-a young boy with multiple food allergies that forces our heroine into a rigid lifestyle when it comes to protecting her son. What ensues is Graham’s seduction of Kara Smith, and Kara’s struggle to keep Zach’s father from destroying their lives.

The relationship between Kara and Graham is one of immediate attraction but Kara knows that their time together is limited. Graham will one day be shipped out of state, and Kara does not have the ability to move at will. The $ex scenes are impassioned and intense.

There is a secondary story line running through the series following a number of minor vandalism cases that have been increasing in damage and danger. The Marine’s appear to be the target of these attacks but the attacks have become more personal and dangerous. The person(s) responsible is becoming obvious, but the twist, is the reason why.

All of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting roles. The world building continues to focus on the boxing team, their friendships, their loves, the struggles both in and out of the ring. The action takes place behind the scenes, outside the ring, and of course, during their tournament play.

FIGHT TO THE FINISH is an emotional story line about friendship and family; betrayal and revenge; moving forward and letting go of the past. The premise is revealing, entertaining, and heart warming especially as it pertains to Kara’s son Zach and his relationship with Graham. The characters are charismatic, energetic, fun and animated; the romance is passionate and alive.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Reading Cafe and Jeanette’s publisher are offering a paper copy of FIGHT TO THE FINISH to ONE (1) lucky commenter 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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10. Giveaway runs from March 1-5, 2016

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Perfectly Imperfect by Harper Sloan-Review and Book Tour

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT by Harper Sloan-Review and Book Tour

perfectly imperfect book tour

Perfectly Imperfect

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 17, 2015

Mirror, mirror … who’s the fairest of them all?

I still cringe when I hear that line. A fairy tale that had girls pretending they were the fairest, the most beautiful, and the most entitled. A fairy tale most couldn’t grow out of turned my haunted childhood memories into a living nightmare. Girls who grew up believing that pile of garbage became the meanest of all ‘mean girls.’

And those mean girls were right – it was a line meant for all the beautiful people in the world – and I knew the answer would never be me.

The women with long legs, flat stomachs, and perfect chests.

The type of women Kane Masters gravitated toward.

Well, that’s definitely not Willow Tate.

No. That will never be me.

Because I’m completely imperfect.

And … I hate myself.

I have no idea what Kane could possibly see in someone like me when he could have them.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: PERFECTLY IMPERFECT is the latest stand alone novel by Harper Sloan.

Told from dual first person points of view (Willow and Kane) PERFECTLY IMPERFECT is an emotional and heartbreaking storyline that will resonate with many readers who have issues of low self-esteem and negative body image. Our heroine Willow Tate is not perfect but she is perfect in the eyes of Hollywood heartthrob Kane Masters. Willow comes from a dysfunctional family wherein she has become the brunt of her stepfather, half sister’s and ex-husbands brutal and emotionally humiliating verbal assaults. An accidental meeting, not once but twice, with the sexy actor/director Kane Masters throws Willow’s world upside down when he offers her everything that he is, and all that she could want.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT is a Cinderella-esque fairytale storyline about a woman who is barely surviving in a world of faux and plastic perfection as she works for her stepfather’s modeling agency. Willow’s self-esteem and body image is so low that all of the negativity in her life has become a self-fulfilling prophecy wherein she becomes a target for all that is wrong in the world. The devastating death of her mother; her step-father’s hatred and half sister’s vitriol attacks; a husband who despises the very air from which she breathes; and Willow’s subsequent emotional eating disorder have left our heroine on the verge of a divorce, and the brink of a personal breakdown. Enter Kane Masters, the man whose own perfect image hides a secret that if revealed would destroy his career and that of someone else. Kane is a man whose need for Willow defies explanation- from the first time he saw her, Kane has become a man possessed in the hopes of something more.

Willow is every woman who has ever hated herself; hated her looks, hated her body; hated the thought of facing another day surrounded by the perfection of every day life. In the beginning, our heroine is a doormat for her family’s attacks; she is a punching bag for their verbal and emotional abuse such that at times the attacks were overwhelming and unbelievable. Willow is at her lowest, and her self-deprecating insecurity knows no limits as it pertains to her own personal value and low self-worth as she traverses a world of black and white, with no color or expectations of future success. It will take the love of a man to show Willow that her true value does not come from the acceptance of other people, but from the acceptance of herself.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT’s straddles a fine line with its’ veiled message to women everywhere. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what does it say when a woman must find her own self worth from the acceptance and attention of a beautiful man. PERFECTLY IMPERFECT is a story of fiction meant to entertain, and I doubt that the author meant anything other than to tell a story about overcoming issues of self-esteem to be accepted and loved by others and one’s self, but the fact that Willow’s slow climb out of the abyss is a direct result of unconditional love from the perfect man is definitely a fairytale for the 21st century. The premise is engaging, emotional and intense; the characters are colorful and heartbreaking; the romance is a slow build to a happily ever after.

Copy supplied by publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

perfectly imperfect teaser

excerpt

“Are you nervous right now?”
I nod.
“Tell me why.” His demand, steady and calm, gives me the courage I need to tell him. To open a vein and bleed my insecurities.
“I’m not perfect,” I whisper.
“And neither am I, Willow. I don’t want perfect. What so many see as perfect, to me, is fake. Perfect isn’t achievable naturally. No one, and I mean no one, is perfect.”
I’m shaking my head before he’s even done speaking, but one long finger comes up and presses against my lips before I can speak.
“No, let me finish. There isn’t beauty in perfection. It’s as fake as the image the word projects. Beauty is found in imperfection, Willow, because to admit you’re not perfect means you’re admitting you’re not whole and absolute. When I think of myself, I see someone willing to admit he’s as far from complete as it gets because, in order to get to that perfection, I need to find the other part of me who will make my life better. To take all the faults I have and fill them, and only then will I be there. You see, the way I see it, the only way to become perfect is to find that perfectly imperfect person who brings it out of you.”
When he stops, I swear I might have stopped breathing. How am I supposed to respond to that?
“Do you trust me?” he asks, his voice strong and sure.
“Yes, Kane. Nerves or not, I do.”
“Then let me show you what I see when I look at you.”
He brings his hands up, framing my face once again in a way I’m quickly becoming addicted to the feeling of. His warm eyes implore, begging me without words to let him continue. I do not intend to stop him, regardless of the butterflies currently taking over my system. I’m all in.

about the author

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harper sloaneHarper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed ‘Estrogen Ocean’, much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero–the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn’t take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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