THE LONG WAY HOME (Corps Security 7) by Harper Sloan-a review

THE LONG WAY HOME (Corps Security 7) by Harper Sloan-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 14, 2023

There’s a price to pay for a life with a greater purpose. The healing of time is a damn liar when you’re living a life as a dead man with no true home, and the silence couldn’t be more deafening. Counting the days, good and bad, I exist as the world keeps spinning. I can never look back. All I can do is hope I took enough out of that life to carry me forward on those dead legs. Everything that was meant to give the tragedy of my life meaning ended up holding me prisoner in this wreckage of my past.

Until now.

One look into her eyes and I’m completely disarmed. It’s only everything I thought I gave up. These walls I’ve built to protect and shroud me crumble more whenever she’s near. I’ve spent years waiting for a reason to breathe again, and now that I have her within reach, I’m not sure I can keep her. Is it possible to find both the missing piece of my soul and the remedy to my healing in one set of bright green eyes? Everything I thought I would never have is staring back at me saying … yes, I can.

••••••••

REVIEW:THE LONG WAY HOME is the seventh and final instalment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult CORPS SECURITY erotic romantic suspense series focusing on a group of ex-Marines and the women they love. This is fifty-two-year old, Zachariah ‘Zeke’ Cooper aka Andrew ‘Drew’ Shaw, and café owner thirty year old café owner Olivia Kelley’s story line. THE LONG WAY HOME can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion I recommend reading the series in order especially COOPER and LOCKE.

NOTE: If you have not read the previous story lines there may be spoilers in my review. The previous to last book in the series was released in 2014 but the author and her fans needed some closure for our story line hero.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Zeke and Olivia) THE LONG WAY HOME picks up more than twenty years after COOPER and LOCKE in which the Corps Security team have grieved the death of their friend and teammate Zachariah ‘Zeke’ Cooper who lost his life protecting the woman Maddox Locke loved but for all intents and purposes Zeke Cooper was dead, and a government ghost known as Andrew ‘Drew’ Shaw became the shadow that now follows our story line heroine. As a ghost, Andrew Shaw worked off books, dark ops for the government, taking down the baddest of the bad including all of the men who destroyed the lives of the people he loved. Along with his new teammates Evan, Hunt and Saint, the man now known as Drew keeps watch over our story line heroine in the wake of threats against her life and the life of her niece Riley. Olivia Kelley is raising her five year old niece after the murder of her sister by the man she once loved. Olivia is unaware of the threats against her life but her attraction to Drew is about to reveal more than she could have ever imagined. As Drew aka Zeke begins to fall for our story line heroine, his past comes ‘sparkling’ back, demanding the truth about what happened and why. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Zeke and Olivia; the protection of Olivia and her niece Riley; the return from the dead for our story line hero; and the fall-out when the threats against Olivia and Riley come hard and fast.

Zeke Cooper ‘died’ the day he took a bullet for his friend’s girl Emmy but Zeke was reborn as Andrew Shaw, a man who now works undercover for the government doing the jobs no one else will do. Protecting Olivia and Riley has become paramount in Andrew Shaw’s life, and he finds himself falling for a woman who is about to relive the death of Zachariah ‘Zeke’ Cooper. Olivia Kelley lost everything the day her sister was murdered but found solace in the raising of her niece Riley. Olivia has spent most of her life alone but for the loss of her sister; meeting Andrew Shaw gave Olivia pause when her heart wanted something Drew may not be able to give.

The relationship between Olivia and Zeke aka Drew begins when Drew and his team frequent the café where Olivia works. Drew as Olivia knows him, is the silent and brooding ‘giant’ of a man, a giant that Olivia’s niece Riley comes to call her own. Zeke knows that to get involved with Olivia could threaten his career but when Zeke’s past comes calling, our hero needs Olivia to be his support and soul. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and familiar secondary and supporting characters most of whom we have met in the original Corps Security series including Sway and Davey, Axel and Izzy, Greg and Melissa, Asher , Beck and Dee, Chelcie and Zach, Emmy and Locke. We are introduced to Zeke aka Drew’s new teammates: Evan, Saint and Hunt, as well as Olivia’s niece Riley, and co-worker Ella. I am hoping the author has plans for the next generation as I had mentioned in my review of LOCKE.

THE LONG WAY HOME is a story of family and relationships, secrets and lies, betrayal and acceptance, forgiveness and love. The premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are energetic, dynamic and desperate. I have missed these characters-the camaraderie, the friendships, the love and the lives.

Haven’t started the series? Books 1-6 are currently available in a boxset for only $9.99 at->  Amazon US only

Reading Order and purchase links-click on highlighted title
Axel
Cage
Beck
Uncaged
Cooper
Locke

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author beige

Follow: Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Pinterest | Instagram

Harper 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.

 

Share

Unconscious Hearts (Hearts of Vegas #1) by Harper Sloan-Review & Excerpt Tour

UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS (Hearts of Vegas #1) by Harper Sloan-Review and Excerpt Tour

UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS
Hearts of Vegas #1
by Harper Sloan
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic,romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.au / / Amazon.uk / / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / ibooks

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 12, 2018

Ari Daniels didn’t count on her whole world tumbling down around her in a mess of shredded promises, broken love, and unbelievable heartbreak. Alone and stricken with grief, she shouldered the blame and eventually closed her heart off, refusing to open it for another. After all, anytime she tried, guilt and regret were waiting in the wings to remind her how painful it was.

A bet and one steamy night with a stranger force Ari to confront all she’s been hiding behind. She tries to move on, but he refuses to stand down, wanting what she is terrified to give—herself. This man may very well destroy her in the end, especially when it’s clear he has his own demons.

What happens when two broken souls come together, finally allowing themselves to believe in the beauty of love … only to have to fight harder than ever to keep it.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS is the first instalment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult HEARTS OF VEGAS erotic, romance series. This is thirty-two year old business woman Ari Daniels, and forty-one year old strip club owner Thorn Evans’ story line.

NOTE: UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS contains graphic language and scenarios that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Thorn and Ari), as well as third person point of view UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS follows the building relationship between thirty-two year old independent businesswoman Ari Daniels, and forty-one year old Vegas strip club owner Thorn Evans. The sole owner of a high-end consignment shop Ari is overwhelmed when a tall, dark and brooding stranger offers up more than she could ever have bargained-millions of dollar in merchandise with brand named labels perfect for her trendy Vegas store. Hoping to quickly rid himself of the valuable merchandise, Vegas business owner Thorn Evans is willing to part with the stuff at a loss. A negotiation ensues such that Ari offers Thorn a deal he cannot refuse. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Thorn and Ari, and the potential fall-out as Ari is targeted by someone from her past.

UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS is a story focusing on two broken souls who continue to battle the demons from their past but none more so than Paris ‘Ari’ Daniels. The loss of her parents, and the heartbreak of betrayal continue to suffocate our story line heroine, squeezing the life from her heart and from her soul. Meeting sexy alpha male Thorn Evans, a man’s whose own history continues to haunt his present allows our couple to commiserate with one another about their tragic pasts.

The relationship between Thorn and Ari is quick to develop but Ari struggles with
the ghosts that refuse to leave her alone. Falling in love was never on the agenda but falling for Thorn was easier than she could ever have imagined. Thorn was looking to settle down. Tired of his reputation as a manwh*re, Thorn knows he has found his happily ever after within minutes of meeting our story line heroine. A man who goes for what he wants, Thorn wants Ari with every breath that he breathes. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful and energetic. We are introduced to Ari’s ex-fiance Thomas; her sister London; best friend and co-worker Piper Ross, her fiancé Matt, Piper’s younger sisters Meggie and Melissa, as well as Thorn’s friend and charismatic business partner Wilder Fox. Wilder and Piper’s story line is next in Blind Hearts.

UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS is a spicy, edgy and intense story of family, love and a happily ever after. Harper Sloan pulls the reader into a decadent, realistic and heart warming tale of wounded hearts and broken souls. The premise is inspiring and stirring; the romance is captivating and breath-taking; the characters are lively, clever and dynamic. UNCONSCIOUS HEARTS is a passionate look at a palpable and visceral love.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

His eyes get hard for a beat before his features smooth back out. “Yeah, beyond sure. No one to pass this shit down to, and even if there was, I wouldn’t be givin’ someone ideas of materialistic bullshit if I did. More to life than all this shit.”
“Okay, well, in that case …” I cough, not wanting to fight with him about our views when it comes to expensive wants versus needs. Last time I tried to argue the benefits of learning to care for and value something you work hard to buy, I had a black eye for almost two weeks. “In that case, I’m prepared to offer you a lump sum as a buyout for the whole collection, but I also want to mention, again, that consignment would be a more lucrative approach. Our buyout is just a standard percent of resale value, but consignment would allow us to mark up each to give you a larger profit.”
“Told you, babe, want it gone. I don’t give a shit about making it more lucrative. Look around you, hardly hurting.”
“Still, it’s my obligation to make sure you’re informed.”
“Consider me informed.”
“Okay … so I can offer a tentative amount of three million. I would need more time to inspect each item in depth for any defects that could affect the value and also to research a few pieces I feel may be limited editions so that could also affect the value. Meaning that amount could go up or down, but I wouldn’t expect it to be less than two point five or more than four point seven-ish. I wouldn’t need but maybe five days tops, and I can come during the day if that works better for your schedule.”
“You get this gone in two days, and I’ll take one mil.”
My whole body jerks back as if I had been slapped, staring at him like he was absolutely insane.
“That’s absolutely insane,” I tell him, voicing my thoughts.
“No, that’s me not giving a shit and wanting it gone so I can get out of this place and sell it and all this shit some hand with care placed around each room. Woulda left this shit in and sold it with the house, but for some reason I’ll never understand, you’re here, and I still just want it gone. You don’t need five days when I’m taking a two mil hit, babe. That would waste your time and mine, and I’m not a huge fan of wasting my time. Way I see it, you win, and I get a cold mil for some shit I didn’t buy nor care about. So you get this shit outta here, and all I need is that.”
“Thorn, I can’t in good conscience accept that.”
“Then dirty that conscience up and laugh your tight little ass all the way to the bank. Don’t give a shit as long as it’s gone, and I don’t have to do anything to make it that way.”
“This is insanity.”
“Insanity would be tossing it all at the Goodwill drop-off. I’m making money. You’re making money. Only thing sweeter than making money is doing it while I’m getting my cock wet, and babe, that only happens when my stock rises at the same time my cock does.” He steps closer, and I back into the island, my chest burning as I hold my breath. “Course, never had four mil worth of shit to sell to a woman who makes my cock rise without even trying.”
“Thorn,” I whisper, placing my hand against his hard chest with the intention of pushing him back. Only, the second his warmth burns through his shirt and hits my skin, I can’t move an inch.
“Ari,” he mocks, his eyes bright.
“I, uh, the paperwork …” I close my eyes and focus on my breaths and the words my mouth can’t seem to form. When my heart slows enough that I won’t die of a heart attack right here in heaven, I look back up at him. “You’re breaking my brain, Thorn. Please step back so I can think clearly without my body trying to die on me.”
The corners of his eyes crinkle as he continues to gaze down at me, but he does step back. My arm falling down to my side.
“As much as I wish I could have this room cleared out for you tomorrow, it will take at least until late Monday. I’ll need to meet with you beforehand to have some legal paperwork signed for the sale due to its size. But my lawyer is an old family friend, so I can have that by tomorrow around dinnertime, if you wouldn’t mind meeting me to take care of that. I won’t be able to get the cashier’s check until after those are signed, so late Monday is the best I can offer you.”
“Want this shit gone, but it’s hardly a hardship to wait a few more days if that means I’ve got a few more opportunities to try to make you want me as much as you want this shit around you,” he says, his deep voice thick with desire.
“Good heavens, you don’t stop, do you?”
“Not unless you beg, babe.”
“I think it’s best we went back to keeping things professional, Mr. Evans.”
This time, it isn’t a ghost of a smile on his lips. Oh, no. Not this time. If I thought he was handsome before this moment, I was a fool. Because Thorn Evans giving you his full, unhindered smile and a gaze so thick with unspoken promise as it washes over you and creates a fire of the desire you already felt … well, that expression on him turns him from sinfully hot to heart-stopping and irresistible instantly.
“It would take me five minutes to get you to beg me for it, Ms. Daniels. Admit it.”
Offended at the thought that I’m easy, I narrow my eyes. Finally. At least anger is an emotion I’ve had plenty of practice dealing with. “I’m not sure what kind of women you’re used to, but I promise you, I am not that type of woman.”
“Maybe three,” he oddly says, ignoring me.
“Three, what?” I snap.
“Minutes, sweetness. Three minutes and you’d be begging me for all this shit and my cock.”
My mouth flounders, and I gasp.
“Though, pretty sure I could get that in less than a minute and get you doin’ all the work while I watch from my back.”
My arm is up, palm cracking against his cheek before I have the ability to do anything to stop it. “I think we’re done here.”
I walk around him, ready to find my way out and let him find someone else to take all of this off his hands even if it kills a little part of my lux loving soul. When his hand curls around my bicep—not painfully, but firm enough to make me stop—I look over my shoulder with a frown. For a man who was just slapped, he looks almost gleeful.
“One minute, Ari. Give me a minute and if you aren’t ready to beg me for it, when those sixty seconds are up, you can take this shit and not give me a penny for it.”
Walk away, Ari. Walk. Away. No amount of money is worth being some man’s whore.
Spinning away from his hold, I jerk my arm free and step toward him with a roll up to my toes, getting my face as close to his as I can. His scent overwhelms me. The subtle notes of his cologne fog my rational thought, making me drunk with need, and I sway slightly before correcting myself.
“Thirty seconds,” I retort, my jaw tight with stubbornness.
I’m not sure who I shocked more—him or me. I have my answer, though, when I see victory flash in his eyes. Oh, my God … what have I done?
“You’re on,” he agrees, his eyes alight with the promise backed up by his devilish grin.
I nod, incapable of anything more. I stand there in shocked silence as he takes my phone, his thick fingers moving quickly over the screen. I vaguely hear a chime from his pocket and before I can so much as blink, he’s handing me my things.
“Tomorrow, I’ll text you. Paperwork first, then you beg.”
I gulp, jerk my head in what I hope resembles a nod of agreement, and then … I flee.

Harper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn’t writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Share

Cowboy Up (Coming Home #3) by Harper Sloan-Review and Excerpt Tour

Cowboy Up (Coming Home #3) by Harper Sloan-Review and Excerpt Tour

Cowboy Up banner

COWBOY UP
Coming Home #3
by Harper Sloan
Release Date: December 19, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary,erotic, cowboy, romance

Cowboy Up

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /Amazon.uk /Amazon.au / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /ibooks /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 19, 2017

As the eldest of the Davis clan, Clayton has always tried to lead by example. Along with taking his job as head of the family business seriously, he is also determined to keep his brother and sister in line. Clay is known for being serious, silent, and stoic—completely in control of his life. And with the way he grew up, coupled with a disastrous end to the last relationship he was in, he’s just fine with his quiet, solitary life.

What he hadn’t counted on was Caroline Michaels. She’s the proverbial woman next door—the town next door, that is. Caroline hasn’t lived an easy life, but after escaping from an abusive relationship, she’s finally living for herself and no one else. The last thing the quirky, shy bookstore owner expected was a steamy one-night stand with Clay Davis.

When Caroline and Clay meet, the connection is instant, both falling into one heated night of passion before parting ways—both driven by their own reasons to deny what they clearly wish didn’t have to end. It isn’t until Caroline falls on hard times and Clay comes back into the picture that they realize just how impossible it will be to stay away from each other.

Will Clay be able to give up his rootless existence in favor of finally settling down? And, more important, will Caroline want him to?

••••••

REVIEW: COWBOY UP is the third (and final?) instalment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult COMING HOME erotic, romance series focusing on the Davis siblings- Clayton, Maverick and Quinn Davis. This is thirty six year old rancher and eldest sibling Clayton Davis, and thirty year old book store owner Caroline Michaels’ story line. COWBOY UP 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 first person perspectives (Clayton and Caroline) COWBOY UP follows the building relationship between Clayton Davis, and Caroline Michaels. A one-night stand between strangers had our leading couple fantasizing about that night two months earlier only to discover that Clayton Davis was Caroline Michaels’ one-time, best friend’s oldest brother, and the high school crush she apparently forgot. After an invitation to Quinn Davis’ baby shower, our heroine will come face to face with the man with whom she will fall in love. Enter Clayton Davis, rancher and eldest Davis Sibling. What ensues is the building romance between Clayton and Caroline, and the potential fall out as both of their pasts collide in a game of jealous revenge.

Caroline Michaels left the town of Pine Oak, Texas immediately after high school to escape the gossip mills and rumors, and the mother who made her entire life a living h*ll. Her return to Wire Creek, Texas to open up her dream bookstore comes with ambivalence and a yearning to be free of the past-a past that almost destroyed our heroine’s life. Clayton Davis doesn’t do relationships in light of heartbreaking childhood and the fractured family dynamics of the Davis clan, as well as the bitter memories of a woman who continues to demand and push Clayton into a second chance.

The relationship between Caroline and Clayton is one of immediate attraction; a one –night stand that turns into something more when Caroline and Clayton bond over past betrayal, broken hearts and parental rejection. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting characters including Maverick and Leighton (Lost Rider #1), and Quinn and Tate (Kiss My Boots #2). We are introduced to Caroline’s best friends and bar owners Luke Hazel, and his twin sister Lucy, as well as Caroline’s ex John Lewis; her mother Misty Michaels; and Clayton’s ex Jess.

The world building continues to focus on the Davis family-their growing love and support for one another, once destroyed by the very people meant to bring happiness and peace. There are two epilogues that fast forward the story line approximately one year, and another that looks fifteen years into the future.

COWBOY UP is a story of family and friendship; romance and love; betrayal, jealousy, revenge and obsession. The premise is heart warming and tearful; the characters are colorful, charismatic and welcome; the romance is passionate and seductive. COWBOY UP is an amazing tale about two people, one family and the struggle to move forward from demons of the past.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Lost Rider
Kiss My Boots
Cowboy UP

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Cowboy Up Teaser

 

Excerpt beige

I push my hands from his shoulders and palm his jaw as his stubble prickles against my fingers while my hands wander up to his hair. His hat falls to the ground with a thud and I know he’s just as lost in me as I am in him, because he doesn’t even make a move to pick it up. He lets out a deep grunt when I mold myself against his body, seeking some sort of friction. The next thing I know, my back is against the door and he’s gripping my bottom. His mouth hits my jaw with a bite of his teeth, making a squeak of pleasure shoot up my throat, and his deep rumble of laughter reaches my ears as he presses me harder into the door with his hips. The heavy bulge of his erection against that spot makes me so desperate for him that I whimper in relief when his mouth finally closes over mine in a wet tangle of tongues.
I’ve never been kissed so thoroughly.
This is the kind of kiss that sets the bar for any that might follow.
The kind that shows you everything you’ve been missing and everything you never knew you wanted. I’m going to be comparing every kiss I ever have to my dark cowboy’s, even though I know there’s a good chance no one will ever compare. The sounds coming from my mouth, the ones being swallowed by his, are nothing short of needy. My hips move in tandem with the thrusts of his, and even though we’re both fully clothed, I know it won’t take much more of this for me to go off like the town’s fireworks on the Fourth of July.
“Fuck, you taste just like apple pie,” he whispers against my lips, breaking away with a gasp.
“Huh?”
“Goddamn, I love apple pie,” he says before his mouth is back on mine, this time with a whole new kind of hunger deepening his kisses.
I’m held captive, enraptured. Then his hands move from my bottom to glide up my torso. He lifts his hard chest off mine and suddenly those delicious fingers are at my breasts. Even if I had big boobs his hands would dwarf them, I’m sure, but as it is he covers both with a firm grasp before adjusting his hold with a deft twist of the wrists. His mouth continues to feast on mine while his huge hands learn my body with slow movements. I tear my mouth from his with a breathy moan when he pushes my shirt up and slips his fingers into the cups of my bra to tweak my nipples.
“Oh, God,” I moan when he does it again.
“I can’t get enough of you,” he rumbles.
“Please,” I beg, not with the slightest clue as to what I’m begging for.
His hips dig even harder into mine as he leans back, supporting me against the door with that connection alone as he pulls my shirt off. The darkness makes me feel more confident than I normally would be, almost half naked with a man—no, a stranger.
“Yours too,” I tell him as his fingers move to unclasp my bra. “I want to feel your skin on mine,” I breathe, taking over the task so he’ll hopefully give me what I want.
I fumble in my haste to feel more of this dangerous arousal he’s creating in my body, but the second my bra is free and dangling toward the floor, his naked chest collides against mine, pushing me into the door with a force that sends the air rushing out of my lungs.
His mouth hits my collarbone at the same time his hands grasp my bottom, sliding me up the door until I feel the wet heat of his breath against my breast.
Then he stops.

About The Author beige

Harper SloanHarper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn’t writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Inkslinger 2

Share

Drunk On You (Hope Town #4) by Harper Sloan-Review Tour

DRUNK ON YOU (Hope Town #4) by Harper Sloan-Review Tour

Drunk on You BAnner

DRUNK ON YOU
Hope Town #4
by Harper Sloan
Release Date: September 12, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Drunk on You

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

About the book: Release Date September 12, 2017

t was supposed to be fun.
A mutual use of each other’s bodies.
To be a ruse to the world around us.
I wanted to be free from my ex, and he wanted to escape his.

One drunken night turned a joke into a life-changing moment.
He warned me not to fall for him, and I should’ve listened.

He intoxicated me.
He made me crave him.
He ruined me.
In the end, I’ll never be the same.

••••••••

REVIEW: DRUNK ON YOU is the fourth installment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult HOPE TOWN erotic, romance series –a spin off and next generation series from the author’s Corps Security. This is bar owner and former male stripper Shane Kingston, and primary school teacher Nikki Clark’s story line. Nikki is best friends with Ember Reid: and Shane co-owns the nightclub and bar The Dirty Dog with his friend and Ember’s husband Nate (When I’m With You #3). DRUNK ON YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information is revealed from previous story line.

NOTE: DRUNK ON YOU contains graphic sexual language, as well as scenes of D/s (Domination and submission), spanking and punishment that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nikki and Shane) DRUNK ON YOU is a story of friends to lovers, fake girlfriend/boyfriend trope that finds Nikki Clark desperate to push her possessive ex out of her life. Offering Shane a no-strings attached, fake girlfriend scenario is perfect for our story line hero as he too, is desperate to push his ex out of the picture. With no promise for the future, and no promises of love Nikki and Shane set about their fake relationship that turns into something more. What ensues is the building love between two people whose lives will be destroyed by one man’s lack of trust, and his inability to let go of the past.

DRUNK ON YOU is an erotic, romance story line with scenes of D/s, spanking, and punishment. Shane is a natural Dominant, and prefers his women to be obedient and amenable in the bedroom. Finding Nikki, a woman whose own sexual kinks border on the submissive is perfect for the their fake boyfriend/girlfriend arrangement until feelings and emotions get in the way.

The relationship between Nikki and Shane is one of immediate attraction but neither one was willing to push for something more believing they were both in committed relationships. With the revelation of two exes who refused to move on from the past, Nikki and Shane set into motion a plan in the hopes of breaking free of their previous destructive entanglements. The $ex scenes are erotic, aggressive and intense. Some readers may have issues with the D/s aspect of their earlier encounters.

Nate and Ember Reid (When I’m With You #3) play secondary and supporting roles. We are witness to Nate and Ember’s growing family; their over-protective friendships with our story line couple; and the successful expansion of the Dirty Dog, a success that threatens Nikki’s relationship with the man that she has grown to love.

DRUNK ON YOU and the Hope Town Series looks at the next generation of the original characters we met in the author’s Corps Security series but unlike the previous installments the Corps Security characters do not cross over in the current story line. Saying that, I miss some of the familiarity and the cohesion between the series. The premise is entertaining and inviting; the characters are sassy and energetic; the romance is raw and passionate.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Unexpected Fate
Bleeding Love
When I’m With You
Drunk on You

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Drunk on You Teaser

about the author

Harper SloanHarper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn’t writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Inkslinger 2

Share

Kiss My Boots (Coming Home #2) by Harper Sloan: Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

KISS MY BOOTS (Coming Home #2) by Harper Sloan-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

Kiss My Boots Banner

KISS MY BOOTS
Coming Home #2
by Harper Sloan
Release Date: July 18,2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Kiss My Boots

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks / BAM / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 18, 2017

In this second of the sultry, Western-set Coming Home series from New York Times bestselling author Harper Sloan, Quinn Davis might finally have a shot at her own happily-ever-after—but will she let love in, or will she tell it to go ahead and kiss her boots?

Quinn Davis prefers to live her life quietly. She’s the stereotypical tomboy with two overprotective big brothers who have always been there to protect her, especially from devilishly handsome cowboys with silver tongues. That is, until Tate Montgomery comes riding into town. Their first meeting, however, is far from something out of a fairy tale and only further convinces Quinn that men aren’t worth her time.

The only place Tate Montgomery ever truly felt at home growing up was during the long, sweltering summer months he spent at his Gram and Paw’s farm in Pine Oak, Texas. Now, Tate has returned to his childhood sanctuary seeking a fresh start—but if he’s being entirely honest, he’s not just back for the wranglers and Stetsons. During those summers, Quinn was a friend-turned-young-love who Tate lost when life threw him a curveball and he cut all ties to his past; but all it takes is one glance at the raven-haired beauty he did his best to forget for him to realize just how much he’s been missing…

•••••••••

REVIEW: KISS MY BOOTS is the second installment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult COMING HOME erotic, romance series focusing on the Davis siblings: Maverick, Quinn and Clayton Davis. This is auto mechanic Quinn Davis, and physician Tate Montgomery’s story line. KISS MY BOOTS 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 first person points of view (Quinn and Tate) including some memories of the past, KISS MY BOOTS is a second chance romance between auto mechanic Quinn Davis, and ob-gyn Tate Montgomery. Nine years earlier Tate Montgomery walked out of Quinn’s life leaving a heartbroken woman to struggle with the how and whys. Tate and Quinn were childhood friends, summer lovers and in love; planning a future together as Tate prepared for medical school but within days all traces of Tate disappeared while Quinn struggled to move on with her life. Fast forward to present day wherein Quinn is now the successful owner of the family run garage, and Tate Montgomery has returned to Pine Oak Texas, looking for a new start and a second chance with the woman he has always loved. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Tate and Quinn as our couple come face to face with demons from their past.

Nine years ago Tate Montgomery left Quinn Davis for Atlanta, Georgia on his way to a promising medical career but in doing so left behind his heart and his soul destroying the woman with whom he promised a happily ever after. Tate was not a hometown boy but a young man who spent his summers in Pine Oak, Texas at his grandparents home, where falling in love with Quinn was immediate and fated. Quinn Davis’s life was never the same when the man that she loved refused to acknowledge her existence; refusing to move forward Quinn would never find love knowing that her heart belonged to a man who no longer cared. With issues of abandonment, the fall out of Tate’s disappearance sent Quinn into a darkness that continues to present day.

The relationship between Quinn and Tate is one of second chances; a love that never waivered in spite of the circumstances and disappearance of Tate from Quinn’s life. Their rekindling romance is met with very little resistance as Tate explains the who, what and why of his years of silence. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Maverick and Leigh (Lost Rider #1 ), eldest brother Clayton Davis, Tate’s friend Mark Blake; an assortment of office staff and nosey townsfolk. The Davis sibling’s relationship is very close; a tight knit family of brothers and sister whose lives were destroyed by secrets, lies and betrayal, and a father who struggled with his own personal demons.

KISS MY BOOTS is a story of romance and love; of second chances; of one man’s need to atone for sins of the past. The premise is engaging and heartwarming; the romance is edgy and emotional; the characters are animated and passionate. KISS MY BOOTS is a wonderful and energetic addition to Harper Sloan’s romantic, cowboy series COMING HOME.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book 1-LOST RIDER.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Kiss My Boots Teaser

About The Author beige

Harper SloanHarper Sloan is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn’t writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Giveaway beige

Harper’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of LOST RIDER (Book 1 in the Coming Home series) 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.

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. Follow Harper Sloan on Facebook.

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 is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from July 20-24, 2017

Inkslinger 2

Share

Lost Rider (Coming Home#1) by Harper Sloan-Review & Excerpt

LOST RIDER (Coming Home #1) by Harper Sloan-Review and Excerpt

Lost Rider

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /ibooks / google Play / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 25, 2017

In Lost Rider, the first Western romance in New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Harper Sloan’s Coming Home series, an injured rodeo star encounters an old flame but will she be just what he needs to get back in the saddle?

Maverick Austin Davis is forced to return home after a ten-year career as a rodeo star. After one too many head injuries, he’s off the circuit and in the horse farming business, something he’s never taken much of a shine to, but now that it’s his late father’s legacy, familial duty calls. How will Maverick find his way after the only dream he ever had for himself is over?

Enter Leighton Elizabeth James, an ugly duckling turned beauty from Maverick’s childhood—his younger sister’s best friend, to be exact, and someone whose heart he stomped all over when she confessed her crush to him ten years back. Now Leighton is back in Maverick’s life, no longer the insecure, love-stricken teen—and Maverick can’t help but take notice. Sparks fly between them, but will Leighton be able to open her heart to the one man who broke it all those years ago?

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: LOST RIDER is the first installment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult COMING HOME erotic, cowboy, romance series focusing on the Davis siblings. This is rodeo star Maverick Austin Davis, and bakery owner Leighton James’s story line.

Told from dual first person points of view (Maverick and Leighton) including memories from the past, LOST RIDER is a story of second chances, family, betrayal and heartbreak. All of her life Leighton James’s was in love with Maverick Davis but ten years earlier Maverick walked out of her life, leaving family, friends, and his hometown behind. Raised by an abusive father, and a mother who abandoned her family years before, Maverick’s need to leave was fostered by his love of bull riding. Fast forward ten years, wherein the now injured Maverick, returns home to Pine Oak, Texas for the funeral of the man who almost destroyed his life. Enter Leighton James, the woman that calls to Maverick’s soul, but the woman whose heart he broke without looking back. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship and romance between Leighton and Maverick, and the revelation behind the many reasons Maverick left town so many years before.

Leighton has never forgiven Maverick for walking out of her life. A successful business owner, Leighton has a difficult time forgiving the man that destroyed her heart, abandoning his siblings to deal with the father from h*ll. Maverick’s younger years were filled with abuse and neglect, and Maverick believed the only option was to run when the opportunity presented. An all star rodeo rider whose career is cut short by too many injuries, Maverick returns home to reclaim the woman he loves, and move forward from a dark and destructive past.

We are introduced to Maverick’s older brother Clayton, and his younger sister Quinn. Quinn is Leighton’s best friend and champions her brother’s need for the woman that calls to his heart.

The world building looks at fractured family dynamics, abuse, betrayal, friendships and love. Pine Oak is a small town with a close-knit population where everyone knows everyone else’s business including Leighton’s broken heart, and Maverick’s abusive past. The slow building story line meanders as Maverick struggles with the truth, and the potential loss of his relationship with the siblings he left behind. There is plenty of self-loathing as it pertains to our story line hero.

LOST RIDER is an emotional and heartbreaking story about one man’s need to escape his past, and one woman’s struggle to heal her broken heart. The premise is engaging; the characters are broken, tragic, passionate and inspiring; the romance is captivating and fated.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Lost Rider teaser

 

Excerpt beige

 

I should tell Quinn and Clay that he’s here. But one look at him and it’s like the last ten years have never passed and I’m back at the bonfire, the awkward high schooler uncomfortable in her own skin. Marching away from him in the woods. It was the last time I saw him. How is it possible that he can affect me this much after all this time?
He hasn’t noticed me, not with his head bowed, so I quickly turn around and focus on Pastor John as he finishes up his prayer. Him being here means nothing. I should be happy that I remember the pain from that night so well, it will make keeping my walls up around him so much easier.
“On behalf of the Davis family, I want to thank everyone for coming today. At this time, the family has asked for some time alone as they say their good-byes. They wanted me to remind everyone that the PieHole will be opening up for a few hours tonight starting at five for anyone that wishes to join them.”
I keep my arm around Quinn, not looking back to where I saw Maverick. I can hear the church slowly emptying and I feel a frown pull at my lips. I had hoped that when everyone started to leave that he would have come up front to be with his family, but so far, the pew we’re in is still empty save for the three of us. We sit and wait for everyone to leave, something that Clay had asked Pastor John to make arrangements for in place of the customary recessional, knowing that no one in this town would really mean a word of it anyway. Plus, I know Quinn is having a hard time. Regardless of the fact that she wasn’t the closest with her father, she was really counting on this—Maverick home. She’s still shaking in my arms, but when I look over at Clay I realize his silence isn’t because of the heaviness of Buford’s death, but instead anger over his brother’s absence that has started to build to a boil. I fear that he’s seconds away from tipping over the edge.
I stand when Clay and Quinn do, but hang back at the edge of the row we had been sitting in as they meet Pastor John and gather their father’s ashes. I can’t wait to get out of these heels. If it would have been acceptable to wear my boots, I would have, but Quinn would have killed me. As it is, I feel like I can’t take a deep breath with how tight my dress is against my chest. I never wear tight shirts. I haven’t since my boobs became beasts of their own right. I’m too busy fiddling with the straps of my dress, trying desperately to get some of the pressure against my chest to ease up so I could take a deep breath, when I heard Quinn gasp.
“Mav!” Next thing I know she’s running past where I’m standing, her black hair streaming in the air behind her as she speeds forward right into her brother’s arms. Clay moves to stand next to me and I look up to meet his green eyes, the questions he isn’t vocalizing dancing in their emerald depths. He’s not stupid and I’m doing a crappy job at hiding the memories haunting me right now. He gives me a small smile, shifting his hold on the urn to wrap his free arm around me and pulls me into a strong hold.
“You’re shakin’,” he says against my temple and I just nod.
“I’m good, Clay. Go see your brother.”
“I’m fine right where I am, sugar.”
I keep my eyes to the ground, focusing on his worn boots instead of looking up, hating myself for making this moment about me when I should be focused on them. Like it or not, I can’t fight the feelings that being near him bring me. I’m that stupid, naive sixteen-year-old all over again. “Let’s get out of here,” he says after a few silent seconds. I look up and give him a smile, hoping that it looks a hell of a lot braver than I feel. Inside I feel like I might puke.
“You think I could have a second with my family?”
My head shoots up at the coldness I hadn’t anticipated in Maverick’s voice. He’s not focused on me, though, instead looking at his brother with a hard expression and one brow raised upward.
“Mav!” Quinn gasps and he moves his attention from his brother to her.
“Sorry, Quinn, but I’m thinkin’ that Clay’s lady friend would understand that this should be a moment for our family and give us time alone.”
“I’ll just—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, sugar,” Clay all but spits through clenched teeth and drops his arm to take a step forward. “You’ve got something to say, Mav, then say it.”
“Nothing to say, Clayton, I just think it would be nice for your girlfriend to give us some space.”
“My girlfriend,” he parrots sarcastically, his deep voice vibrating in anger.
“Mav.” Quinn attempts to butt in, but stops when Maverick leaves her side and turns to stalk out of the church. I should find it comical that he obviously didn’t recognize me, or hell, maybe he did and he’s just picking up where he left off ten years ago in the middle of the dark woods. I take a deep breath. “It’s okay. He’s right. Y’all need some time as a family. I’ll head over to the PieHole and start settin’ up for tonight.”
Quinn brushes a tear from her cheek and just shakes her head. I look at Clay to see him staring in the direction that his brother just left.
“You’re family,” he finally says, not looking in my direction.
“Clay, really, it’s okay. It’s been a long time since y’all were back together and I don’t need to be there for that reunion. It sucks that it takes all of this to finally bring him home, but he’s here and y’all need to make up for a lot of time lost.”
“Shut up, Leighton.”
“Don’t, Clay.”
“Don’t what? You’ve got every right to be here. You’re just as much a part of our family as he is. Hell, maybe even more so than he is at this point. So just shut up, come with us, and ignore him.”
I shake my head, the fight instantly leaving my sails, knowing I would be arguing until the end of time if I
pressed this issue.
“I can’t believe he doesn’t even recognize you,” Quinn whispers.


 

About The Author beige

Harper SloanHarper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn’t writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Inkslinger 2

Share

Jaded Hearts (Loaded Replay #1) by Harper Sloan-review and book tour

JADED HEARTS (Loaded Replay #1) by Harper Sloan-review and book tour

Jaded Hearts banner

JADED HEARTS
Loaded Replay #1
by Harper Sloan
Release Date: December 13, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, rock, romance

Jaded Hearts

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

About the book: Release Date December 13, 2016

Signing with Brighthouse Records was supposed to be everything we ever wanted—our better life. Our chance at everything we never had but always wanted. All our dreams would finally come true and we were on top of the world. It was our chance at the happiness we never had in life.

Our every desire was at our fingertips and the power of that feeling was all consuming. But then it took every dream we thought would come true and it slapped us in the face with the cold hard reality.

Dreams were just that…something that floated on the cusp of untouchable, taunting you with every graze of your fingertips before slipping even further away.

Happiness…that feeling is a joke.

In the end it became painfully obvious that each of us would always have each other, but we would forever be alone.

*Jaded Hearts is the first book in the Loaded Replay series.*

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: JADED HEARTS is the first installment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult LOADED REPLAY erotic, rock romance series focusing on the members of the band Loaded Replay. This is lead singer Wrenlee ‘Wren’ Davenport, and thirty one year old security specialist Chance Nash’s story line. LOADED REPLAY is a spin off from Harper’s Corps Security and Hope Town series.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Wren and Chance) LOADED REPLAY follows the band as they embark on their final tour for Brighthouse Records, and the threats against our story line heroine. Following Loaded Replay’s most recent concert appearance a threatening letter and personal images of Wren Davenport surfaced forcing the band to hire their own personal security. Enter Chance Nash from Corps Security, and the man with whom Wren would fall in love.

Chance Nash is all about protecting his charge but his first meeting with Wren Davenport finds our story line hero immediately smitten and falling in love. Wren’s attraction to Chance is off the charts and she isn’t afraid to make her feelings known. JADED HEART’s story of insta-love finds our leading couple in a ‘fake relationship’ scenario when the band’s recording company refuses to accept Chance Nash as Wren’s personal security.

The attraction between Wren and Chance is immediate but Chance struggles with duty before personal life, and in this Chance tries but fails miserably to view Wren as his employer to his employee. Wren continues to push at Chance at every opportunity until our story line hero succumbs to the desire and demands of his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive.

We are introduced to the other members of the band: Wren’s twin brother Weston Davenport; drummer Jamison Clark, and guitarist Luke Madden; Wren’s best friend and stylist Dyllan who may or may not be in a relationship with Jamison Clark; as well as the band’s manager from Brighthouse Records Dix, roadie Kellie, and journalist Casey Brookes.

The world building takes the reader on tour with Loaded Replay-behind the scenes, onto the stage, and up close and personal with the members of the band. There is a bit of a twist to the story line conflict when the truth about the threats against Wren are revealed.

JADED HEARTS is an energetic story line about two people pushed together by circumstance and necessity. The heartwarming romance is a case of insta-love; the conflict is all but forgotten for most of the story; the happily ever after will be passionate and dynamic. The premise is captivating; the characters are heartwarming; the romance is fated and intense. Harper Sloan adds another fun and sensual addition to her popular romance series.

Copy supplied for review.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

 

 

Goddamn, that smile is dangerous.
Who am I kidding? He is dangerous.
I do my best to ignore him, but it’s impossible. The steady brush of his arm against where mine is resting on our shared armrest constantly reminds me how much my body wants his touch. The scent of his delicious cologne hits my senses, making me want to climb in his lap and rub my face over his chest to get a potent lungful of it.
I can’t even remember the last time I was this horny, which is pathetically sad, since it was probably around the same time I actually got laid. Years. I think. Close to three. Maybe that’s why I’m a hot mess lately. I turn my head to study the side of his face and wonder if I can use this situation to my advantage. I mean, after all, we are in a ‘relationship’ now.
He turns and gives me a questioning arch of his dark brows, but I brush it off in favor of playing Disney Emoji Blitz on my phone.
By the time we had hit cruising altitude, I could hear the other men around me snoring away but not Chance. He’s fiddling with his phone, completely ignorant of the fact I’m about to start humping his leg.
“Excuse me,” I breathily say, unbuckling my belt and standing to move around him. I stand there, my head bent slightly because of the overhead, and wait. He doesn’t move, though. Instead, he drops his phone to his lap and gives me his complete attention; his eyes even dance a little like he’s finding this whole damn thing funny. “Excuse me,” I repeat, no longer breathy, and seconds away from coming.
No, that’s a lie. I’m still breathy and very much seconds away from soaking my panties even more than they already are.
His large hands grab my hips, and he guides me down on his lap with no resistance from my treacherous body.
“Not what I meant,” I say through clenched teeth, trying to sound harsh and offended, but I just sound dazed and turned on. I wiggle in his hold, trying to get free, but he’s too strong for me.
He leans up in his seat, his chest hitting my back and buries his face in my neck. I’m sure anyone who saw us would see a loving couple who just can’t keep their hands to themselves. He’s playing a dangerous game, though, because the second the solid, hard length of him presses against my backside, I forget this is supposed to be a game and squirm a little more. His teeth nip at my shoulder at the same time his groan hits my ears.
“Stop moving, Wren,” he demands, tightening his fingers on my hips.
“You’re the one who put me on your lap.” I curl my fingers over the empty seat in front of me and squeeze my eyes shut when I feel him growing harder under me.
“Yeah, because the flight attendant who just walked by had her phone out and pointed right at us. She’s doing a shit job of making it look like she’s doing something with her paperwork.” His hand comes off my hip, and he cups my jaw, turning my head to the side just when I was about to look up at where I last saw the attendant, forcing me to shift until all it would take is me throwing one leg over his body to be face-to-face. “Do not look at her,” he stresses; the sudden movement of twisting my body makes me bounce slightly in his lap, rubbing my legging-clad ass against his erection. His eyes drop to my mouth where I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and groan.
“Give me a reason not to look,” I dare him.
“You don’t want to go down that road, Wren. I’ll protect you from the world, but you need to protect yourself from me.”
“No one is asking you to.”
Not even knowing if we’re still being watched, I twist my torso the rest of the way, pulling my legs up until they’re bent at his stomach between us. Now that I’m facing him completely, I bring my hands up to curl them both around his shoulders before dragging them up to wrap around the corded muscles at the sides of his neck. His nostrils flare, but he doesn’t stop me. I give him the chance, but it never comes. Dropping my head, I press my lips to his. I explore his lips with small pecks and little licks of my tongue, learning his mouth before pressing more firmly. He sucks in a breath when I open my mouth and slowly drag the tip of my tongue over his bottom lip.
And then his control snaps.
His hands—still at my hips—lift me effortlessly until my legs are no longer folded between us, but now digging into the hard armrests with my knees pushing into his thighs, my back hitting the seat in front of me. His mouth opens, and his tongue meets mine, no hesitation whatsoever, as he deepens the kiss.
Our breathing echoes around us, making it sound like everyone on this plane could hear us, but I know it’s just because our faces are so close. I let out a moan, one that he swallows, that turns into a whine when he pulls back.
“That can’t happen again,” he softly scolds, just as breathless as I am.
What the hell? I might not have been into this whole fake-boyfriend-slash-bodyguard thing before, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to take advantage of the situation. Especially now that I know how alive he makes me feel. Three years since I had pleasure from anything other than my own hand, and if that kiss is anything to go by, what Chance could make me feel is ten times more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt in my whole life.
I’m not passing that up.
Nope.
No fucking way.
“We’ll see about that.”


 

about the author

Harper SloanHarper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn’t writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Inkslinger 2

 

Share

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

Follow: Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Pinterest | Instagram

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.

rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TRSOR logo

Share