Tag Archives: New Release Reviews 2018

Saved by the Cowboy / Tough Luck Cowboy by AJ Pine-Reviews & Giveaway

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SAVED BY THE COWBOY / Tough Luck Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch 1.5 & 2) by AJ Pine-Reviews & Giveaway

Saved by the Cowboy / Tough Luck Cowboy
Crossroads Ranch 1.5 & 2
by AJ Pine
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

 

SAVED BY THE COWBOY
Crossroads Ranch 1.5
by AJ Pine
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 7, 2018

Cowboy to the rescue

Once upon a time, Sheriff Cash Hawkins left his simple life for something bigger—and came home with a broken heart. Now he has everything he needs right here in Oak Bluff, California—his job, his dog, and a quiet ranching town best explored on the back of a horse.

Olivia Belle believes in fairy tales—just not for herself. So when her boyfriend drops to one knee at his sister’s wedding with a proposal that is more business than romance, she hightails it out of San Francisco in search of the only evidence she knows that true love exists—her grandparents’ lost love letters from fifty years ago.

When Olivia speeds into his town like a modern-day Cinderella in her ball gown and glass slippers, Cash’s careful existence is finally thrown for a loop. Maybe the answer Olivia’s looking for is in Oak Bluff, but the life she ran from is more than 200 miles away. As for Cash . . . he knows a thing or two about being left on bended knee. Olivia Belle could be his happily ever after . . . if this runaway bridesmaid doesn’t run off with his heart.

••••

REVIEW: SAVED BY THE COWBOY is instalment 1.5 in AJ Pine’s contemporary, adult CROSSROADS RANCH romance series. This is Oak Bluff’s sheriff Cash Hawkins, and San Francisco events planner Olivia Belle’s storyline. SAVED BY THE COWBOY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Olivia and Cash) SAVED BY THE COWBOY follows the building relationship between Oak Bluff’s sheriff Cash Hawkins, and San Francisco events planner Olivia Belle. A quiet Saturday night found Cash Hawkins stopping a speeding car with the most beautiful bridesmaid he has ever seen. A broken glass slipper, and a twisted ankle found Cash hoping for his own happily ever after but happily ever afters were meant for fairy tales and never real life.

Olivia Belle was running from quite possibly the biggest mistake of her life in the hopes of finding her grandparent’s love letters in the small town of Oak Bluff, California, where her grandmother was born and raised. Meeting Sheriff Cash Hawkins sent Olivia into a tail-spin of possibilities, a tail-spin that started with a marriage proposal from a man back home.

The relationship between Olivia and Cash is quick to develop as Olivia battles her attraction to Cash knowing her time in Oak Bluff is drawing to an end. Cash wants something more than a one-night stand but Olivia is quick to point out that she has responsibilities back home. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include many of the people who live and work in Oak Bluff. We are introduced to Cash’s mother Lucinda; recently divorced pastry chef Lily Green, and rancher Luke Everett. Lily and Luke’s story line is next in TOUGH LUCK COWBOY.

SAVED BY THE COWBOY is a quick read; a sweet and sexy romance; a fun and flirty love story that is a bit of a departure from the ‘cowboy’ scenario. The premise is spirited; the romance is enchanting; the characters are feisty and adorable.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

________________________

TOUGH LUCK COWBOY
Crossroads Ranch #2
by AJ Pine
Release Date: August 28, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 28, 2018

The only girl he ever wanted was the one he could never have.

What’s the saying, bad luck comes in threes? If so, Lily Green is due for something good. First, her divorce is finalized—on her birthday, no less. Then the first job she lands for her catering company turns out to be for her ex-husband’s wedding. To top it off, she’s stuck working the event with Luke Everett, the sexy-as-hell best man who’s never been able to stand her. When can a girl catch a break?

For years, Luke has kept his feelings for Lily safely hidden. Hitting on his best friend’s ex-wife would definitely break the cowboy code of honor. But ever since an injury sidelined his rodeo riding, the two of them keep getting thrown together. It’s only a matter of time until his true feelings come to light. When that happens, it will either be the biggest mistake of his life, or a sign that his luck is about to change.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: TOUGH LUCK COWBOY is the second full-length instalment in AJ Pine’s contemporary, adult CROSSROADS RANCH romance series. This is rodeo rider and rancher Luke Everett, and pastry chef /caterer Lily Green’s story line. TOUGH LUCK COWBOY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Some of the premise crosses-over, and runs parallel to some of the events in the August 2018 novella Saved By the Cowboy.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Lily and Luke) TOUGH LUCK COWBOY follows the second chance relationship between rodeo rider and rancher Luke Everett, and twenty-seven year old, pastry chef /caterer Lily Green. Lily Green signed the divorce papers on her twenty-seventh birthday, feeling like a complete failure having never anticipated her husband’s affair. A perfectionist and list maker at heart, Lily knew she was difficult at times but our heroine had only ever loved one man, her ex-husband’s best friend Luke, a man she fell for, three years earlier, the same night she met Tucker Green. When Lily accidentally agrees to cater her ex-husband’s upcoming wedding, all bets are off when she is forced to work alongside the man she has loved from afar. Enter Luke Everett, rodeo rider, and the bane of Lily’s existence as our heroine believes Luke despises his best friend’s ex. What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and relationship between Lily and Luke, and the fall-out as an injured Luke is determined to re-enter the rodeo ring in the hopes of remaining on top.

The opportunity to cater the upcoming feast for a Food Network star, Lily has no idea that she has offered up her services for her ex-husband’s wedding. Struggling to make a name for herself, outside of her failed relationship with her ex-husband, Lily is hoping to succeed in a business where others have failed. Luke Everett knows that one more concussion could mean the end of his career. Badly injured in his last outing six weeks earlier, Luke struggles between head and heart when Lily gives our hero an ultimatum in order to save his life. Lily’s constant need to run is disconcerting especially as it reminds her of a man who left long ago.

The relationship between Lily and Luke is acrimonious at best; their constant bickering, back and forth, vitriol comments and accusations are hurtful especially when neither one is deserving of the other’s actions. Luke is unaware of his best friend’s affair, and Lily knows nothing about Luke’s feelings for her. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

TOUGH LUCK COWBOY is a story of family, pride, heart-break and second chances. The premise is engaging and lively; the characters are determined and challenging; the romance is provocative and intense. TOUGH LUCK COWBOY is an emotional and energetic story line.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Review by Sandy

 

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A teen librarian by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can’t seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she finds that 25th hour in the day, she might indulge in a bit of Netflix and Hulu, nourishing her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. She hails from the far off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs where she resides with her two amazing kids and three little devils disguised as cats.

 AJ Pine’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of book one SECOND CHANCE COWBOY 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).

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8. Giveaway is open to USA & CANADA only

9. Giveaway runs from August 23 to August 28, 2018

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Darkest Heart (Dominion #1) by Juliette Cross-Dual Review & Excerpt Tour

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DARKEST HEART (Dominion #1) by Juliette Cross-Dual Review & Excerpt Tour

DARKEST HEART
Dominion #1
by Juliette Cross
Release Date: August 20, 2018
Genre: adult, urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play/ iTunes

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 20, 2018

Wrong side of heaven…right side of redemption.

Anya—a stoic, blue-winged angelic warrior— was bitten by a demon prince in battle, and now she has precious little time to find a cure for his deadly venom. But the only archangel with the power to stop the dark poison from corrupting her body and soul is missing. She’ll have to trust her guide, the outcast high demon Dommiel, who is as handsome as he is dangerous if she has any hope.

An outcast of his own kind, high demon Dommiel stays under cover while the war between angels and demons rages on. But when the only person who ever showed him kindness asks for his help, he has no choice but to try to save the angel. Venturing back into the dens he has avoided for so long, Anya makes him want and feel things he never thought possible.

But Dommiel knows there is no way an angel can ever love a demon

•••••••••

SANDY’S REVIEW: DARKEST HEART is the first instalment in Juliette Cross’ post-apocalyptic, urban fantasy DOMINION paranormal, romance series focusing on the fight for control and power- the Great War- between heaven and hell. This is fallen angel/demon prince Dommiel, and guardian angel/warrior Anya’s storyline.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Anya and Dommiel) DARKEST HEART follows blue-winged angel Anya, as she goes in search of the Archangel Uriel believed to be held captive by a witch with demonic powers. Anya’s only chance to find Uriel, and save herself for the growing darkness within, is a fallen angel, a former archangel, a demon prince called Dommiel, and the man with whom she will fall in love. What ensues is the growing attraction and love between demon and angel, and the potential fall-out as Dommiel surrenders his life to save the woman he loves.

The relationship between Dommiel and Anya is one of the forbidden. Anya is the ambrosia to Dommiel’s poison; the demon prince whose very existence is now the heart and soul of a woman whose time is ticking, a secret she has yet to reveal to the man that she loves. The romance is seductive; the $ex scenes provocative and passionate.

DARKEST HEART is an emotional, dark and exquisite story between good and evil; hatred and love; vengeance and salvation. The colorful and charismatic secondary characters are brooding, intelligent and intense. A powerful story with passionate characters by a brilliant author. DARKEST HEART is spirited, mesmorizing and breath taking-Juliette Cross opens the heart to the mind’s eye of endless possibilities.

 

________

BARB’S REVIEW: Darkest Heart by Juliette Cross is the 1st book in her new urban fantasy Dominion series. I have said this a number of times that I am a big fan of Juliette Cross’ writing.  Each and every book she writes is totally fantastic, which I have come to expect from her.  She is such an awesome author whom you should be reading. Now to my review.

As Darkest Heart begins, we meet our hero (or antihero) Dommiel, who is a high demon, but is considered to be a traitor to his kind.  Dommiel no longer considers himself to be aligned with any side, and sells his help to the highest bidder; but he also helps save humans from other demons; this makes Dommiel different as demons care for no one.

Dommiel receives a call from Genevieve, a powerful vessel of light who can kill demons just by speaking and to whom he has a blood vow with. Genevieve is concerned that Uriel, the good archangel is missing, and wants Dommiel to work with Anya to find him.  But Dommiel isn’t too sure he wants to work with an angel. 

Anya was once a guardian angel for lost and helpless children, only to become a warrior to fight the demons and creatures. During a battle, Anya was bitten by a demon prince, whose poison is slowly growing inside her. She needs to find Uriel, who can remove the poison, or she will be fully pulled into the dreaded demon world.  Though she wants nothing to do with Dommiel, Anya abides by Genevieve’s request that he will be the best person to help her find and rescue Uriel.

What follows is an amazing story where Anya and Dommiel must enter a dark and dangerous world in an attempt to save the archangel.  While working closely together, in a short time, both Dommiel and Anya find their attraction to each other becoming stronger with each passing day.  Dommiel knows he shouldn’t become involved with an angel, especially one who is a virgin, but he is drawn to her like he has never been to anyone.  Anya also feels the lust developing between them, and though they are like night and day, she cannot resist him.  The bond they develop is strong and truly a beautiful love story. Is it possible for a demon to really love an angel? 

I loved Anya and Dommiel together.  At the start he was somewhat arrogant, but that changes when he knows he has fallen in love with Anya, something he never thought would be possible.  Dommiel turned out to be such a great hero, willing to do anything to protect and save ‘his angel’, even give up his own life. Anya was also a great heroine, being a tough warrior in her own right, and determined stand beside Dommiel, no matter the consequences. The chemistry between them was lethal, but the future was grim.   Will they survive a demon onslaught and save the archangel?  You will need to read this book to learn more.

Darkest Warrior was a heart stopping, intense, pulse pounding, action packed, exciting thriller that kept you glued to your seat, but it was the love between two people so different that was so heartwarming and beautiful.   Darkest Warrior not only pulled on all your emotions, but had an amazing couple that you rooted so hard for. 

As I have said before, if you have not read Juliette Cross, you are seriously missing a fantastic author, who never fails to wow us each and every time.  As always, thank you Juliette Cross for another sensational series that I will wait with abated breath for the next book.

Copy supplied for review

 

NOTE: The excerpt is intended for mature readers due to language and sexual content

I glanced up the street. Six cloaked figures strode in our direction, the mist curling around their billowing capes. High demons on the prowl with malicious intent. They moved as if they had a specific destination. But they’d derail plans in a heartbeat to pluck a pretty angel apart.
“Well, it’s worth a try.” Anya started toward the bridge.
Instinct gripped me hard. I stepped in front of her, covered her mouth with my hand, and pushed her back into a niche against the wall.
“Tighten your wings,” I commanded in a low whisper.
She did, making it easier to flatten them against the alcove wall behind her. I pressed my body hard against hers, minimizing our presence.
“Don’t make a sound.” I emphasized with force. “Not a whimper.”
Her violet-blue eyes widened, but she only nodded. I covered as much of her as I could, pressing my chest to hers, then cast illusion to hide her wings with a snapping summons of my power. She didn’t see the demons coming, and I had to hide her wings quickly. The shock of my dark touch, my invisible armor wrapping her in a hard grip, had her lips parting in a silent gasp. Our breath mingled in the frosty air as the gang of demons drew closer. They’d sense us and see us. I counted on my instincts being right. That they’d bypass a pair of lovers in the shadows. But if they’d seen her wings, they’d stop for a bit of sport with her.
Like I’d fucking let that happen.
“Play along,” I commanded again, hearing the grating dominance in my voice and expecting her to push me off.
Combing my hand into her hair, I reveled in the feel of the silky strands sliding over my skin before I gripped that black silk in a fist and leaned forward. A force not my own pulling me closer. Her eyes remained wide, her body stiff. But not as stiff as mine. Hell, I’d had a hard-on from the first moment she arched a defiant brow at me.
The need to get my mouth on hers drove me like a bullet train. I needed to know what she tasted like. Needed to feel the slide of my tongue past those full pink lips. Needed to get inside of her. But she wasn’t ready for me. Not yet. She was hard to read, my angel. But we could play pretend lovers for a minute.
Gripping her hip with my mechanical hand, I pressed harder against her body. My cock, like an iron rod, pushed against her pelvis. She flinched in my arms and stiffened but didn’t pull away. No. She softened, for fuck’s sake. And that was my undoing. I tilted my mouth toward her neck, breathing her in.
I sensed the sinister air surrounding the demons drawing closer, but I refused to give in to the urge to turn and draw a blade. The menace rolling off of them claimed they were not a group to overpower or escape quickly. If worse came to worse, I’d just sift us away. But something told me they were on the move. Better prey in mind. As long as they thought us harmless lovers, we were safe.
So I focused on Anya. Her grip on the lapels of my leather jacket tightened while her body melted against me. Pure, fucking heaven.
I grazed my lips against her soft throat, featherlight. Her desire—an innocent, fragile thing—flared hot when she let out a little moan. Christ. I was going to lose my mind.
I sensed the demons passing behind us. That danger drifted away but another kind took its place. Uncontainable lust had me in its iron grip. Unable to taste just a little, I flicked my tongue over the lobe of her ear. She flinched again, exhaling a breathy moan before she clamped her mouth shut.
Curling my hand into the collar of her leather jacket, I pulled it aside so I could taste her where her neck met shoulder. The soft patch of exposed pale skin lured me like a dying man in the desert to the coolest drink of water.
Fuck, the things I wanted to do to her. Dirty, dark, delicious things.
Her innocence was a beacon, a red flag waving in the breeze, and my bull wanted to charge. Right fucking now.
Feeling my control slipping, I scraped my teeth gently up the side of her neck, my beast jerking on the leash I was strangling him with.
I eased my lips off her skin, a new addiction that would surely cripple me, because that wasn’t nearly enough. A slight sound of protest escaped her lips. I lifted my gaze to hers.
“Not a whimper,” I said.
The urge to bind her and force every possible sound of pleasure from those luscious lips pushed me like a primal compulsion. A vibrating need I never saw coming threatened to choke the air from my lungs.
Her eyes—dilated with lust—trailed down to my mouth.
“Dommiel. Your teeth.” Her panting breath curled out in white puffs. “And your eye.”
That’s when I realized my beast had come to the surface. The monster I kept at bay so as not to frighten mere mortals. And sweet angels. He wanted to play. He wanted more.
Flicking my tongue over one canine, I backed up, removing my body from the achingly sweet alignment against hers. It would take a few minutes to simmer my blood, for my canines to recede. I turned away, facing the direction those night prowlers had gone, heaving in a deep breath of cold night air. I needed a dip in the Arctic to get my brain and my dick off the gut-punching pleasure one little taste of her had given me.


 

Juliette lives in lush, moss-laden Louisiana where she lives with her husband, four kids, and black lab, Kona.

Multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance, she loves reading and writing brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes.

From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.

Connect: Website| Facebook| Twitter| Pinterest| Amazon| Goodreads| Newsletter

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The Duke of Seduction (The Untouchables #10) by Darcy Burke-Review & Excerpt Tour

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The Duke of Seduction (The Untouchables #10) by Darcy Burke-Review & Excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 21, 2018

Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers rocks and dirt to marriage. Her passion is science, and she’s determined to marry if—and only if—she finds a man who supports her interests and intellect. So far, she’s managed to avoid attention on the Marriage Mart, but when the Duke of Seduction pens anonymous letters singing her praises, she suddenly become the toast of the ton and matrimony seems imminent.

William Beckett, Marquess of Northam possesses the reputation of a rake, but is secretly a romantic. Spurned at sixteen, he doesn’t expect to feel the sting of Cupid’s bow a second time, and yet he’s able to woo the coldest of hearts with the anonymous words he publishes. As the Duke of Seduction, he uses his skill to help Lavinia, never anticipating she has no desire for assistance. While Lavinia is pursued by several suitors, Beck is the one who is seduced when he learns that love can strike twice.

••••••••

REVIEW: The Duke of Seduction is author Darcy Burke’s latest addition to the Untouchables series. It’s a well constructed and interesting historical romance with some great conversations and interesting twists. If you like historical romance stories, this is a very entertaining read.

Lady Lavinia Gillingham is the female lead character. She’s an intelligent young woman with a mind that lends itself to science, but typical of this time, her intelligence isn’t encouraged. Her father, being a duke, Lavinia is aware she’ll one day be required to marry. She hopes to find someone who will support her interests, although she’s in no real hurry to marry.

The male lead is William Beckett, Marquess of Northam, “Beck” to his friends. He’s a handsome young man, well educated. He has no personal interest in marriage or, so he says. He had his heart broken at an early age by unrequited love and isn’t eager to repeat his mistake. He is however, a bit of a rake. He doesn’t mind having affairs with married women, although he is careful not to be caught. He has a few other secrets as well. He pens poems to help several of the unnoticed young women on the marriage mart get noticed. His reasons are the secret.

I don’t do spoilers but let me tell you why I found this story so very interesting. The author has given us a cast of interesting characters with very distinct personalities, well developed. The amusing way the main characters meet, and their developing relationship, is both amusing and imaginative. While it does follow the romantic plan we all know and love, it’s full of little twists and turns. The ending is my favorite and was most surprising. I read this one in a single day much to the disfavor of my spouse…but I simply couldn’t put it down. Ah, the life of a bookaholic!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna

The room wasn’t overly large, and it was—seemingly—empty. It also wasn’t terribly well lit, with a low fire burning in the grate and a pair of sconces flickering on the wall on either side of the fireplace.
She was either beneath the desk or behind the curtain. He couldn’t see the underside of the desk from the door. It wasn’t a pedestal as Lord Evenrude’s had been.
Circling around, he saw no one hiding there. That left the draperies on the window. He moved to the far wall and instantly noted the slight lump behind the blue damask. Moving forward, he reached for the fabric but hesitated before he pushed it aside. What if it wasn’t her?
The fabric moved, and she bared her face. “You found me.” Her dark gaze registered surprise. “Oh, it’s you!”
“It’s me.”
“Are you still looking for a place to hide?”
“I am.”
She reached for his lapel and held the drapery wide, pulling him into the darkness beside her. “He’ll be done counting shortly. If he isn’t already.”
“I should probably hide somewhere else,” he said, though he was loath to move. Ensconced in the dark with Lavinia, he was acutely aware of her heat and the intoxicating scent of lilies and honeysuckle.
“Yes, I suppose you should.” She turned toward him, and they were so close, her breasts brushed against his chest. “Sorry,” she murmured.
God, he wasn’t. He was only sorry he had to leave.
“Before you go, I wanted to thank you again for the fossils.” She whispered, her breath tickling his neck as she spoke. “I can’t stop looking at them. They’re absolutely extraordinary. I hope I have reason to visit Devon one day so I can hunt for my own.”
“I hope you do too. Consider yourself welcome at Waverly Court any time.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
He heard the smile in her voice and resisted the urge to run his fingers over her mouth so he could feel the curve of her lips. He really should go—
But first, he wanted to ask her something. “Do you know the Duchess of Kendal?”
“Yes, but not well. Fanny’s sister is a good friend of hers. Why?”
Why indeed. Beck wanted to enlist Lavinia’s help to see if the Duchess might be able to help him learn who SW and DC might be. However, if the Duchess had been part of a scandal, she might prefer to leave those memories in the past. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure he should include Lavinia in any of this.
And yet, he found he simply couldn’t resist. “Do you know what happened with the Duchess when she was out in Society—maybe sixteen years ago? The Duke mentioned something, and I was curious. Because my sister was out at the same time.” He added the last because he felt he had to share a reason for his inquiry. Still, he hated bringing Helen up since he didn’t want to answer too many questions about her, particularly regarding her fate.
“She was compromised. A gentleman—I can’t remember who—wooed her. They were caught kissing, and he refused to marry her. She was ruined. It was horrible because it wasn’t even her fault. It’s so unfair. Men can kiss whomever they want, and women are blamed for any indiscretion.”
“The key is to not get caught. It sounds as though this gentleman was rather inept.”
“Are you saying it was his fault?” She sounded surprised. “Most would argue they were at least both to blame.”
“Certainly she retains some culpability, but a decent gentleman would ensure they could kiss and not get caught.”
“And how would they do that?” Something in her tone changed. Her voice lowered, and it felt as though she’d moved just a hair closer.
If he leaned just a tiny bit forward, he was sure he’d feel her breasts again. God, how he wanted to. “They might hide themselves behind a drapery in the library.”
“During hide-and-seek?”
Beck’s cock lengthened and grew stiff as the air around them heated. “Probably not. In that case, someone is actually looking to find them.”
“And yet here we are.” Her voice had changed again, going nearly breathless.
“Yes, here we are.”
“Are you going to, then?” she asked, her breasts grazing his chest as she edged herself against him. “Kiss me.”
“By God, I think I am.”
“Oh, good.”

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of hot, action-packed historical and sexy, emotional contemporary romance. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, and three Bengal cats. Visit Darcy online at www.darcyburke.com and sign up for her newsletter, follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/darcyburke, or like her Facebook page,www.facebook.com/DarcyBurkeFans.

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Site: www.darcyburke.com
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Dirty Rich Obsession (Dirty Rich #3) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review & Excerpt tour

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DIRTY RICH OBSESSION (Dirty Rich #3) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review & Excerpt Tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 22, 2018

A MAN OF CONTROL. A WOMAN WHO’S ABOUT TO TAKE IT.

Reid Maxwell is one of the top corporate attorneys and one of the most eligible bachelors in New York City. He likes his wins big, his women beautiful and in bed, not out, and most importantly the deep burn of his past buried. Until one woman, a most unexpected woman, challenges him in ways that might just destroy the invincible Mr. Maxwell.

Carrie West is captive to Reid Maxwell and a debt between their families she doesn’t know exists. It should be so simple for Reid Maxwell. Claim the company that is now his. The problem: he’s now obsessed with Carrie, the daughter of the man he’s destined to destroy.

Now who’s captive to who?

••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY RICH OBSESSION is the third instalment in Lisa Renee Jones’ contemporary, adult DIRTY RICH erotic, romance series. This is corporate attorneys Reid Maxwell, and Carrie West’s story line. DIRTY RICH OBSESSION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. There is a slight cross-over with the author’s Tall, Dark and Deadly series and the appearance of Royce Walker.

NOTE: There are some scenes of light discipline and spanking which may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Reid and Carrie) DIRTY RICH OBSESSION follows the building relationship between corporate attorneys thirty-eight year old Reid Maxwell, and Carrie West. Carrie West is struggling now that West Enterprises has been forfeited in a hostile take over, a take over and sale to the Maxwell, Maxwell and Maxwell law firm. Hoping for answers Carrie sets out to ‘seduce’ the man she accuses of stealing the company, but things don’t go according to plan. Fearing the loss of her job Carrie must face the man from whom she was hoping for definitive answers. Enter Reid Maxwell, legal shark, arrogant corporate attorney, keeper of secrets, and the man with whom Carrie will fall in love. What ensues is the acrimonious relationship between Carrie and Reid, and the potential fall-out when the truth behind the take-over is finally revealed.

Reid Maxwell doesn’t do relationships but his attraction to and obsession with Carrie West is visceral and real. The secrets Reid keeps buried are both personal and professional, secrets that will destroy the woman with whom he is falling in love. Carrie West struggles in the face of professional ruin and personal loss until Reid Maxwell makes Carrie an offer she cannot refuse.

The relationship between Carrie and Reid is an enemies to lovers romance between corporate attorneys fighting for domination both in and out of the boardroom. Reid demands submission from our heroine in an attempt to usurp control over all things Carrie West, control that is more of a power struggle than a romantic or equal relationship. There are quite a few issues of trust between our leading couple including the secrets Reid keeps buried, secrets he knows will destroy the growing love between him and Carrie. Reid’s need to discipline Carrie is a constant threat against our story line heroine, a threat he is all too quickly to demonstrate and provide. From unwanted physical altercations, and emotional demands, Reid’s behavior is tantamount to an abuse of power in a supervisory position. In a climate of the #MeToo generation, I am struggling with the hero’s behaviour towards the woman with whom he is falling in love. I get it, this is a story of fiction but sometimes too much is too much. The $ex scenes are erotic, seductive and intense with some scenes of light discipline and spanking.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including the return of Reese Summer, and Reid’s sister Cat Maxwell (Dirty Rich One Night Stand #1), Cole Brooks and Lori Havens (Dirty Rich Cinderella Story #2), and Royce Walker. We are introduced to Reid’s brother Gabe, and their father Mike Maxwell; business associates, billionaire attorney Grayson Bennett, and Elijah Woodson; Reid’s amazing PA Connie; Carrie’s PA Sallie, as well as Carrie’s father, and his girlfriend Stella. Grayson’s story line is next in DIRTY RICH BETRAYAL.

The world building continues to look behind the scenes of the rich and powerful attorneys: the backstabbing, affairs, corporate greed, and all around betrayal and mistrust.

DIRTY RICH OBSESSION is a story of betrayal, secrets, vengeance and loss. The repetitive use of the word a$$hole as a descriptor to punctuate the behaviour and attitude of our story line hero is over the top with eighty-nine (89) mentions-slightly redundant in the grand scheme of a romance story. The premise is well-written, intelligent and engrossing: the characters are animated and dynamic; the romance is sexy and provocative but I had a few issues with Reid Maxwell’s alpha-hole behavior.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Dirty Rich One Night Stand
Dirty Rich Cinderella
Dirty Rich Obsession

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NOTE:The excerpt is intended for mature readers 18+ due to content and language

 

“Why am I here, Reid?”

I drag her onto my lap. “Because I want you here. Because I can’t seem to stop breaking my own fucking rules with you.”

Her hands plant on my shoulders. “And you’re mad at me again? You’re blaming me.”

“Yes. Stop making me break my rules.” I cup her head and kiss her, my tongue pressing past her lips, stroking us both into a needier place, where rules don’t matter.

She moans and sinks into the kiss, and damn it, I love those moans, I’m addicted to those moans. I’m addicted to this woman, and all my good intentions to sate that addiction, fail. I pull my T-shirt over her head and toss it, my gaze raking over her. My hand slides between her shoulder blades, and I mold her close. “This is definitely your fault.”

“Is this where you decide to kick me out again?”

“No,” I say. “This is where we fuck.” I drag her mouth to mine, and kiss her, telling myself that fucking is all this can be, reminding myself of the debt and the secret I legally cannot share. The secret that she’d never stay silent over if she knew.

I tell myself to get lost in the taste of her, defiant and yet submissive at the same time, in that way that defines this woman. I tell myself to just enjoy the moment, and I do. I waste no time getting naked and pulling her down the throbbing length of my cock. I waste no time driving into her. I waste no time getting lost in her touch, her kisses, her moans. And later, much later, when I’ve laid us down and pulled her next to me on the couch, I hold her, listening to her breathing slow and even out. I’m acutely aware that she is a woman caught in the middle of a debt that has to be paid, destined to hate me. It’s why this has to stay just sex. It’s why no matter how deep I go with her, I cannot get too close.


 

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Lisa Renee JonesNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling the bestselling DIRTY MONEY and WHITE LIES series. And will be publishing the first book in her Lilah Love suspense series with Amazon Publishing in March 2018.

Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

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All The Way (Romancing Manhattan #1) by Kristen Proby-Review Tour

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ALL THE WAY (Romancing Manhattan #1) by Kristen Proby-Review Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 21, 2018

Finn Cavanaugh is known for being a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. He owns a successful law firm with his brother and brother-in-law in Manhattan. On the rare occasion that he has down time, he spends it at his home in Martha’s Vineyard. But when Finn’s troubled niece goes to stay with him for the summer in Martha’s Vineyard, he’s reluctant to take time off from work. That is, until he meets his beautiful new neighbor, London.

London Watson is a Tony Award winning actress on Broadway. When tragedy strikes her family, leaving her alone and injured, she flees Manhattan for Martha’s Vineyard. Hoping she can figure out how to pick up the pieces of her life, London is convinced that she’ll never be able to return to the stage. But when she meets the charming young girl next door and her sexy uncle, they soon lure London out of her shell as she finally begins to heal from the wounds of her past.

But when London feels confident enough to return to the spotlight, she’s dealt another devastating blow. Will the newfound love between London and Finn be enough to conquer all? Or will it be over before it has a chance to grow…?

•••••••••

REVIEW: ALL THE WAY is the first instalment in Kristen Proby’s contemporary, adult ROMANCING MANHATTAN erotic, romance series focusing on three brothers and attorneys -Finn, Carter and Quinn Cavanagh . This is forty-year old, attorney Finn Cavanagh, and thirty-two year old, singer/dancer/ Tony Award winning actress London Watson’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Finn and London) ALL THE WAY follows the building relationship between forty-year old, attorney Finn Cavanagh, and thirty-two year old, singer/dancer/ Tony Award winning actress London Watson. Several months earlier London Watson would come face to face with her future, her father’s attorney, and the man with whom she would fall in love. But the tragic death of her parents, and the subsequent disaster that left our heroine with permanent injuries, finds London Watson recovering in the family home on Martha’s Vineyard. Enter attorney Finn Cavanagh, her next door neighbour and the man with whom London would fall in love. What ensues is the quick building relationship between London and Finn, and the fall-out as another potential disaster threatens London’s long fight for peace and rehabilitation.

Finn Cavanagh is a successful attorney whose down time spent on the east coast with his niece Gabby finds our hero falling for the woman next door. Hoping for something more than a summer fling, Finn offers to follow London, as she is offered a role on the country’s west coast. London Watson is an extremely independent and forceful heroine who isn’t above telling it like it is. Growing up in a controlled environment, she refuses to ‘allow’ anyone, including the man with whom she is falling in love, to control any aspect of her life although ‘control’ is a questionable action –in this, I struggled to sympathize with our story line heroine. Her acerbic condemnation of Finn’s actions were just short of rude, condescending and b*tchy.

The relationship between Finn and London begins as a seaside romance, a romance that will continue after Finn’s return to work, and London’s offer to work on the west coast. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic, language and text.

We are introduced to Finn’s brothers and fellow attorneys: widower Carter Cavanagh and his ten year old daughter Gabby; Quinn Cavanagh, whose over protective nature pushes all of his mother’s (Margaret Cavanaugh) buttons; London’s friend and colleague Sasha; superstar Jeffrey Cameron, and London’s brother Kyle.

ALL THE WAY is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and pain. The premise is entertaining but the conflict resolution, and the building mystery was predictable and disappointing. The romance was seductive and provocative but I struggled with the heroine’s attitude and need for control-there is a fine line between independent and strong vs b*tch; the characters were colorful and charismatic. I am looking forward to a happily ever after for both Quinn and Carter.

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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Better Together (One Fond Embrace #1) by Crista McHugh-Review & Giveaway Tour

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Better Together (One Fond Embrace #1) by Crista McHugh-Review & Giveaway Tour

Better Together
One Fond Embrace #1
by Crista McHugh
Release Date:August 20, 2018
Genre:adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / iTunes

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 20, 2018

Hawaiian rancher Alex Kahale needs a temporary wife to close a deal that’s vital to the welfare of his herd. Thankfully, he’s already married to a woman stole his heart in less than a week, even if that same wife filed for divorce a few days after they said their “I dos.”

Rising country music star Britney Moore had a wild fling with a cowboy in Las Vegas a year ago which ended in a drunken drive-through marriage. Once she returned to Nashville, she filed for divorce to save her squeaky clean image. Besides, spontaneous marriages never last, and she knows better than to risk her heart on Alex. But no matter how many requests she sends him, he refuses to sign the papers. Then he sends her an intriguing offer. Come to his ranch on Kauai and pretend to be his wife for two weeks for business purposes, and he’ll sign the papers.

As much as Britney tries to resist his charm, Alex manages to tear down her defenses one by one until she falls for him all over again. But when the press finds out about her secret husband, will their revived romance be killed by the tabloids?

••••

REVIEW: Better Together begins with Alex Kahale thinking through how he got to this place in is life. Inheriting the family ranch, which was never supposed to be his, has come with a set of challenges that he’s trying to overcome. He is trying to secure a deal with a rancher in Idaho that will provide financial security for the ranch and all who live and work there. When said rancher, Stan, informs Alex that he wants to make sure the person he’s selling to is a dedicated family man and he and his family are coming to visit the ranch and Hawaii for a week, Alex knows what he has to do.

Britney, aka Shelby Morris, is working hard in Nashville, trying to finish up her album. To say she’s surprised when her manager tells her Alex has offered to sign the divorce papers is an understatement. When she finds out she has to go to Hawaii for two weeks to ensure that happens, she’s hesitant. Needing those papers signed, she agrees to his terms and heads to Hawaii. After all, two weeks away could do her some good and it will get her what she wants. Uh huh…………..

Better Together is a great story and first book in McHugh’s new series, One Fond Embrace. Alex Kahale is a character whom you will fall in love with immediately. His sense of loyalty, not only to his family heritage, but to those he considers friends and family, will endear him to everyone. Britney is a likable character as well, but it’s her backstory that will pull you in. Incredibly talented, she’s determined to make it on her own and not fall down the rabbit hole as her mother did. However, it’s the chemistry between the two of them that heats up the pages and keeps you wanting more. I love the world McHugh has built in this one. Every time I read one of her books, I think ‘there is no way her world building can get any better’, and she has once again proved me wrong. You can see the mountains, hear the waves crashing and feel the island breezes as you read this intriguing tale. The secondary characters are well written and add another layer to the story, and I can’t wait to read more. If you’re a fan of romance, you’ll definitely not go wrong with this one. Well done, Crista McHugh! Very, very well done!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Vickie K

Crista McHugh is an award-winning author of fantasy and romance who writes heroines who are smart, sexy and anything but ordinary. She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.

She is an active member of the Romance Writers of America (including the Greater Seattle Chapter and the Seattle Eastside Chapters), and Romance Divas.

Just for laughs, here are some of the jobs she’s had in the past to pay the bills: barista, bartender, sommelier, stagehand, actress, morgue attendant, and autopsy assistant.

And she’s also a recovering LARPer. (She blames it on her crazy college days)

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Captured by Her Cougar (Cougar Creek Mates #2) by Felicity Heaton-Review,Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

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CAPTURED BY HER COUGAR (Cougar Creek Mates #2) by Felicity Heaton-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk| Amazon.com.au / B&N

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 18, 2018

In the wake of an Archangel attack on Cougar Creek, Storm is seething with a need for revenge against the hunter organisation and the key to it might be the petite blonde mortal he’s locked in his cabin, one he’s determined to make sing for him. Only the beauty has a fiery temperament to match his own, and the more time he spends with her, the more she stokes a fire inside him. One that fills him with a startling and undeniable need to make her sing in another way—in his arms.

Gabriella isn’t going to take her captivity lying down. She’s going to give the pig-headed brute holding her against her will hell until he finally believes she’s innocent. He might be a cougar shifter, but she isn’t afraid of him. Or at least she isn’t afraid of what he is. The way he affects her, the flames that lick through her whenever they’re close, terrifies her though, because the longer she’s around the towering sexy-as-sin shifter, the hotter that fire blazes, and it’s only a matter of time before it burns away all her restraint.

With the mating heat and the attack bringing cougars back to the creek, Gabriella is a complication Storm doesn’t need, but she’s one that he wants… because she might just be his one true mate.

••••••••••

REVIEW: CAPTURED BY HER COUGAR is the second instalment in Felicity Heaton’s contemporary, adult COUGAR CREEK MATES paranormal, romance series focusing on the cougar shifters of Cougar Creek, Canada. This is cougar shifter Storm, and human female Gabriella’s story line. CAPTURED BY HER COUGAR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. The Cougar Creek Mates series is a spin-off from the author’s Eternal Mates series. It is not necessary to have read the previous series but there is an on-going premise throughout with the inclusion of the group known as Archangel.

Told from dual third person perspective (Storm and Gabriella) CAPTURED BY HER COUGAR picks up immediately after the events of book one –Claimed by Her Cougar-wherein Gabriella is being held prisoner following the attack against the shifters by her half-brother Alexander. Alexander, as a member of the hunter organization known as Archangel, had flown into Cougar Creek in an effort to eradicate all who were not human. Collateral damage in her brother’s attempts to destroy that which threatened the norm, Gabriella is held for questioning by a shifter who despises all humans and what they represent. Enter Storm, cougar shifter, and the man who would claim Gabriella as his mate.

Like his brother Rath, Storm remembers the destruction and deaths caused by the hunter group known as Archangel. Having lost their parents and loved ones, the brothers struggle with their attraction to the human females that call to their hearts. The relationship between Storm and Gabi begins as Storm keeps Gabi a virtual prisoner in the cabin he temporarily calls home. Storm’s attraction to Gabi does not go unnoticed by our heroine, attraction that defies explanation for the shifter Storm. The limited $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Storm’s brother Rath and his human mate Ivy (Claimed by Her Cougar), as well as their brothers Cobalt and Flint, and female cougar Taya.

The world building continues to focus on but barely acknowledges the ‘pride gathering’, a time of mating heat between unmated females and males, a gathering that forces Storm to remove his mate from other potential claims. Archangel, as well, is but a blip on the radar but is referenced in connection to Gabriella’s presence and what it represents.

As per Felicity Heaton’s style of writing CAPTURED BY HER COUGAR presents as more of a written narrative where the story is told through thoughts and the emotional struggle of fated attraction. The premise is entertaining; the romance is provocative and emotional; the characters are spirited, spicy and intense. CAPTURED BY HER COUGAR is an energetic story line of fated mates.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one CLAIMED BY HER COUGAR

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

When he held up a bag and jerked his chin towards the cabin, Gabi ducked away from the window, missing what he said to his brother.
The door opened a split-second later, and his eyes landed on her where she stood near the log burner, the mug of coffee in her hand.
“Drinking my coffee now?” He arched an eyebrow at her, and she ignored him, because he wasn’t angry with her.
No. There was a satisfied glint in his grey eyes that said he had wanted her to fall for the coffee trick and was sure she was going to fall for whatever one he employed next.
He held up the bag and waggled it. “Ivy and some of the females donated to your cause. Must make a change… being shown charity?”
He opened the bag when she didn’t respond and peered inside it.
“Ooh…” His shoulders trembled beneath his black woollen jumper as if he was shuddering. “All kinds of goodies. Clothes… candy… other necessities to keep you beautiful.”
That gave her pause.
Keep her beautiful?
Pig thought she was beautiful?
He didn’t seem to notice his choice of words, because she was sure that if he had, he would have been horrified by them—by finding a human of all things beautiful.
He pulled out a near-empty bottle of perfume, and some deodorant, plus a toothbrush and razor, and damn, she wanted them but she wasn’t going to let him see that. She wasn’t going to let him win.
She folded her arms across her chest. “Let me go. I’ve done nothing wrong. You can’t keep me here… like a prisoner.”
“Like a prisoner?”
She nodded.
He smiled coldly. “Little Bird, you are a prisoner… and I’m your jailer… and until you tell me what I want to know, you aren’t going anywhere.”
She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You know this is illegal, right?”
“You’re trespassing on our land, you brought assault rifles and intended to slaughter us all… and you think you have a right to say what we’re doing is illegal?” he barked and she shrank back, but then rallied and stood her ground. He advanced on her, but she refused to let him intimidate her. “I can, and I will, do whatever it takes to protect my kin.”
Gabi set her jaw as her heart began to pound, anger trickling through her veins to heat her blood. “I swear, I’m not going to tell anyone. Who would believe me anyway?”
“Archangel,” he snarled and stepped into her, his huge body crowding her as she tried to hold her ground. “The people you work for. I’m sure they’ll believe you, and they’ll come back with more guns… more hunters… and I can’t allow that.”
“I told you… I don’t work for Archangel!” She squared up to him, which did nothing. He just glared at her, his eyes blazing gold, triggering an instinct in her that screamed at her to run because she was in danger. She had nowhere to run, so all she could do was fight. He had her backed into a corner but she was damned if she was going down without a battle. “So that’s it then… I’m just going to be your prisoner forever?”
“Unless you tell me what I want to hear, that’s pretty much the case, Little Bird.” He glowered down at her, his jaw muscles tensing beneath his golden skin.
“I’m not going to accept that,” she bit out. “I want to talk to Ivy.”
“You’ll talk to me.” He grabbed her arm, the press of his fingers hot and hard, making her aware of him and how close he was to her.
His body brushed hers, her breasts against his stomach, his thighs against her hips.
Her breathing quickened as his proximity wreaked havoc on her, had thoughts spinning through her mind that she damned well wasn’t going to entertain.
“Get your bloody hand off me.” She meant it to come out loud and forceful, but it left her on a whisper.
“No,” he muttered and his deep voice was as strained and low as hers.
His eyes darkened, but it wasn’t anger in them.
It was desire.
Fire that lit up the gold of his irises.
She was seeing things, her tired mind messing with her, because the pig didn’t like humans, he liked his women fast and forgettable, and she didn’t like her men going furry and feral.
But then his eyes dropped to her lips.
It was just the briefest glance, but she caught it and how his eyes darkened further.
Oh, cougar boy wanted her.
Gabi couldn’t resist tilting her head back, part of her wanting to lure him in even when she wasn’t sure whether she was doing it because she wanted to find a way to escape and gaining his trust in this way felt like the right move to make, or because she wanted to kiss him too—burned with the same fire that was in his eyes.
He glanced at her mouth again, and for a heart-stopping moment she thought he would kiss her, braced herself for it and found herself fiercely wanting it.
Fool.
His lips quirked in a cold smile. “You’re not my type. I prefer my females to have a heart behind their breasts and without a knife in their hand, ready to stab me in the back.”
Son of a bitch.
That hurt even when she tried to let it glance off her. It cut deep, his aim true.
“You flatter yourself a bit too much,” she bit out, venom in her tone, and he leaned back and frowned down at her. “I have a fiancé… one who will be looking for me… a very powerful man.”
One who she doubted was really worried about her since the match had been Alexander’s idea and she had only gone along with it at the time to help him out when he had needed an investor to save his business.
Her words had the desired effect though.
The man released her, looked at her through truly dark eyes for the first time, no flicker of light and warmth in them at all, and left, slamming the door behind him so hard that one of the glass panes cracked and she flinched.
She had the feeling she had upset him, just as she had wanted, but it didn’t make her feel better.
It only made her feel worse.
Gabi sat on the couch, keeping still and silent, lost in thought as she stared at the flames. Day drifted into night, and when he didn’t return, she settled in his bed and slept as best she could, expecting to wake when he came home and stomped around the cabin, making her aware of his mood.
Only she woke the next morning and there was no sign of him.
She padded across the wooden floor to the bag he had left on it near the kitchen, picked it up and emptied the contents one by one on the polished wooden counter. She glanced at the door, but didn’t bother to check it. The key was missing, and she had no doubt he had locked it while she had been busy flinching.
Gabi used the supplies he had given her to clean up in his small bathroom. The water was freezing. She hurried through washing herself, and used the deodorant but not the perfume, and dressed in the dark green t-shirt and the brown trousers that were a few sizes too large for her. Ivy’s?
She cinched them at the waist with the supplied belt and went into the kitchen, finger-brushing her blonde hair as she gazed out of the window at the woods and the strip of the clearing that she could see.
There were another three men she didn’t recognise today, together with two more women, both of them very pretty and both of them brunettes. They reminded her of Ivy, and she ached to see the woman she had come to think of as a friend, her heart heavy as she stood in silence in the empty cabin.
She just wanted to see a kind face.
She went through the process with the coffee machine, replacing the filter and grounds, and the water, only to realise the power was out again.
Had he disconnected it to punish her, because she had tried to punish him?
Tears filled her eyes but she sniffed them back. “Screw him. Bloody bastard. You can’t keep a good Gabi down.”
She rifled through his cupboards and found a steel kettle and a cafetiere, and grinned. She filled the kettle with water, set it on top of the log burner, and went back to the window as she waited for it to boil.
Pig appeared, dressed in the same black jeans and jumper he had been wearing yesterday as he crossed the grass, heading over to one of the women. He smiled as he spoke with her while they walked, following the path towards the woods and his cabin, each one a needle that pierced Gabi’s chest and made it sting for some reason.
His eyes remained locked on the woman as they stopped near the cabin, in full view of Gabi. The hunger in his gaze made her want to look away, even though it was a pale shadow of the way he had looked at her yesterday, before he had spent the night away from the cabin.
With one of the women?
She remembered what he had said to Flint—that he wanted in on the action.
He wanted these women.
He glanced in her direction, and smirked at her, and she looked away from him, refusing to let him win. He was doing it to spite her, to hurt her because she had hurt him.
She was sure of it.
He wanted the women who were coming to the area.
But he wanted her more.
And damn her.
She wanted him too.
But she wasn’t going to give in to him.
Never.

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
Blog: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/blog/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton
Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

There are TWO (2) ways to win !!

In addition to the gift card giveaway below, Felicity is graciously offering an  ebook of  choice of either Turned by a Tiger, Tamed by a Tiger or Treasured by a Tiger to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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8. Giveaway is open internationally.

9. Giveaway runs from August 20-24, 2018

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the Grand Giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the author.

Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win one of a $75, $50 or $25 Amazon Gift Card at the Captured by her Cougar book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on September 2nd. Enter now: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/captured-by-her-cougar-shifter-romance-book.php

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Abe (Savage King MC #2) by Lane Hart & D.B. West-a review

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ABE (Savage Kings MC #2) by Lane Hart and DB West-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. uk / Amazon. au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 14, 2018

Abram Cross didn’t want the life of crime that fate had dealt him, but what other choice did he have when his mother spent every penny on drugs instead of buying food for him and his younger brother?

While Abe is no longer a professional thief, he’s still living on the wrong side of the law as a member of the Savage Kings MC. He never claimed to be a good guy; but after Abe meets Mercy Daniels, he’s starting to wish he was a better man.

Abe was only supposed to take Mercy for a ride on the back of his bike. He didn’t plan on offering her more than a few good times between the sheets.

When Mercy starts getting creepy letters from a psycho, one who has also been breaking into her house, Abe refuses to just walk away. He won’t let her down the way he let down his brother when he needed him most.

Abe knows he’s the perfect man to provide Mercy with protection. But who will protect Abe’s heart when he starts to fall for the woman he knows he could never deserve?

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REVIEW: ABE is the second instalment in the contemporary, adult, SAVAGE KINGS erotic, MC, romance series co-authored by husband and wife team Lane Hart and DB West. This is Abram ‘Abe’ Cross, and reality star Mercy Daniels’ story line. ABE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Mercy is best friends with reporter Sasha Sheridan (Chase #1).

Told from dual first person perspectives (Abe and Mercy) ABE follows the building relationship between Savage Kings member Abram ‘Abe’ Cross, and reality star Mercy Daniels. One year earlier Mercy Daniels was humiliated on live TV and in the ensuing time Mercy struggles to move on from the past. With paparazzi and a stalker following Mercy’s every move, Abe assigns himself as bodyguard and protector to the woman that calls to his heart, as Mercy embarks on another reality show in the hopes of finding her one true love. What ensues is the building romance and love between Mercy and Abe, and the potential fall-out as Abe struggles with everything the television show has to offer.

Abe Cross’ early years were fraught with hunger and neglect as he struggled to feed his mother and younger brother Gabe. A life of crime finally caught up with our story line hero but a life that has flourished with the Savage Kings MC. The public is unable to forget the public humiliation of Mercy Daniels when a ‘bachelor-esque’ television series found Mercy on the receiving end of ridicule and scorn. Having met biker Abe Cross just days before shooting her new reality series, Mercy struggles between head and heart knowing that her time on the show is tantamount to fraud.

The relationship between Mercy and Abe is one of immediate attraction but Abe doesn’t feel worthy of Mercy’s love. With a stalker bearing down on our story line heroine Abe refuses to walk away until the reality show ends. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense; the palpable sexual energy is steamy and hot.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including the cast and crew of reality TV; acting Club president Chase Fury and Sheridan (Chase #1), and his brother president Talon Fury; Abe’s brother , tattoo artist Gabe Cross; MC secretary Sax, treasurer Dalton, tech guy Reece, Sergeant in Arms War, Cooper, Fast Eddie, and enforcer Miles. Talon’s story line is next in …TALON.

The world building continues to follows the war between the Savage Kings MC, Aces MC and Cartel drug kingpin Hector Cruz. We are up close and personal as Mercy navigates the world of reality TV including the twenty potential candidates for her happily ever after.

ABE is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and love. The premise is engaging and gripping; the characters are feisty, sassy and flirty; the romance is spicy, sexy and provocative. ABE is a captivating and energetic story for fans of the MC romance.

Click HERE to read Sandy’s review of book one -CHASE.

Copy supplied by Booksprout

Reviewed by Sandy

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